Ell
ADULT
SABBATH SCHOOL
BIBLE STUDY GUIDE
ion
Looking at the Biblical Account
JUL AUG SEP 1999
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Copyright © 1999 by the Sabbath School Department/Personal Ministries, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 12501 Old
Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600, USA.
Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide (ISSN 1096-7400)/No. 417/July-September 1999.
Editorial Office
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904
Principal Contributor
Randall W. Younker
Editor
Philip G. Samaan
Associate Editor
Lyndelle Brower Chiomenti
Editorial Assistant
Soraya Homayouni Parish
Art and Design
Lars Justinen
Pacific Press Coordinator
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The adult Sabbath School
Bible Study Guide is prepared
by the Sabbath School/
Personal Ministries department
of the General Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists. The
preparation of the guides is
under the general direction of a
worldwide Sabbath School
Manuscript Evaluation
Committee, the members of
which serve as consulting
editors. The published guide
reflects the input of the
committee and thus does not
solely or necessarily represent
the intent of the authors.
God the Creator
Paradise Lost: The Fall's
Impact on Creation
Was There Death Before Sin?
Creation and the Flood
The Master Designer
God's Power in Nature
Sabbath and Redemption
in Creation
God's Re-creation: The Earth
Made New
6
14
22
30
38
46
56
64
72
80
88
96
104
God's Two Books: Scripture
and Nature
But Did It Really Happen?
Creation in Six Days
A Recent Creation
A Closer Look at the Creation Story
Contents
1
Meet the Principal Contributor
to This Quarter's Guide
Randall W. Younker is associate professor of Old Testament and
Biblical archaeology and director of the Institute of Archaeology at
Andrews University. He is also director of the Ph.D./Th.D. program
at the Seventh-day Adventist Theo-
logical Seminary at Andrews. He
received his B.A. in religion from
Pacific Union College in 1975 and
an M.A. in biology from that same
school in 1977. He later earned a
second M.A. and a Ph.D. in Near
Eastern archaeology from the Uni-
versity of Arizona.
Dr. Younker has taught a num-
ber of courses in science and reli-
gion on the undergraduate and gradu-
ate level for several years. In addi-
tion to teaching, Dr. Younker has
been a field archaeologist for nearly
twenty years, working in both Israel
and Jordan. Currently, he directs excavations for the Madaba Plains
Project at Tell Jalul, a major site from the biblical period located near
Mt. Nebo in Jordan. He has authored or coauthored over fifty schol-
arly and popular articles. Dr. Younker and his wife, April, have four
children: Rebecca, Michael, Elizabeth, and Sarah.
Check with your local Adventist Book
Center for the companion book to the
adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide.
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African-Indian Ocean
Division
when they receive the
funds from the offering
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The countries
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and Sierra Leone.
LIGHT
FOR A
DARK
WORLD
A
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For many Christians, the Sabbath
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only in the context of which day is the
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Sabbath have any relevance to contem-
porary life?
Greg Nelson believes the Sabbath is
not only relevant but revolutionary. With
a passion for turning biblical truths
inside out and revealing the impact those
truths can make on our lives, Nelson tack-
les questions like:
GR
E
GORY
NELSON
• How does our Sabbath keeping impact
our family relationships, hurting people,
and the environment?
What does the Sabbath say about our responsibility to God's cre-
ation?
How does a true understanding of God's Sabbath impact our
experience of the Sabbath and how we use it to experience God
more completely?
Through dynamic illustrations and the input from a wide variety
of contemporary authors,
A Touch of Heaven
puts forth fresh para-
digms for the day of rest that transform it into a powerful tool for
Church and personal renewal.
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© 1999 • Prices subject to change. 653/95590
God's Creation
Looking at the Biblical Account
The doctrine of Creation is foundational to Seventh-day Adventist
beliefs. To recognize that the earth and its inhabitants came about by
creation, not by chance, is to recognize the existence of a Creator. To
acknowledge God as our Creator is fundamental to recognizing both
His power to redeem us and His right to judge us. Creation also is
intricately tied to our belief in the Sabbath, which is a memorial to
God's Creation and a sign of the believer's faithfulness to God at the
close of time (Rev. 14:7).
Seventh-day Adventists take Genesis 1-11 as an accurate histori-
cal account of the origins of life on earth. We accept the biblical
account's straightforward testimony that the creation of life on this
planet and its various habitats occurred in six literal, 24-hour days.
Based on the available biblical data, we also believe that the period of
time since the Creation has been a short chronology of a few thousand
years, as opposed to millions of years required by the general theory
of evolution. Further, we accept the account of the Fall, which
brought a radical change to life on this planet, as well as the world-
wide Flood, which destroyed that life and dramatically altered the
physical face of the planet.
The conclusions one reaches about what the Bible teaches on this
crucial subject depend much on the method of interpretation one
brings to the Bible. Our church has historically rejected external
authorities that claim to supersede what the Bible itself says. We
affirm that the Bible has final authority in matters of origins. We
accept the Bible as it reads in its most straightforward manner.
Maintaining the historical-biblical view of Creation is not simply
based on an uncritical or apathetic disregard for modern science.
Denial of the historicity of Genesis 1-11 undermines the very essence
of Christianity—the plan of salvation—for it necessarily denies the
historical Fall and death resulting directly from it. Acceptance of
biblical Creation reminds us of our desperate need of a Savior and
gives us insights into God's love and power to redeem us. Join us this
quarter as we study what the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy say
about God's Creation.
"God is Creator of all things, and has revealed in Scripture the
authentic account of His creative activity. In six days the Lord made
`the heaven and the earth' and all living things upon the earth, and
rested on the seventh day of that first week. Thus He established the
Sabbath as a perpetual memorial of His completed creative work. The
first man and woman were made in the image of God as the crowning
work of Creation, given dominion over the world, and charged with
responsibility to care for it."—SDA Fundamental Belief, 6.
5
Lesson 1
June 26—July 2
God the Creator
Sabbath Afternoon
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Gen. 1, 2; John 1:1-18; 14:16-28;
16:5-16.
MEMORY TEXT: "In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth" (Genesis 1:1, NKJV).
KEY THOUGHT:
The divine unity of the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit is reflected in the Creation. God's acts in the past, present, and
future help us understand where we come from, who we are, and
where we are going.
UNITY IN CREATOR AND CREATION.
People are interested in
their roots and backgrounds. They want to know about their origins, for
that has an impact on their present experience and future destiny. They
are proud of their lineage and heritage, which helps them to have an
anchor and a connection to their world.
Yet regardless of their lineage, heritage, gender, race, education, or
position in life, their glorious origin is found in God Himself. In recount-
ing the genealogy of Jesus, Luke concludes the list with this striking
verse, "the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of
God" (3:38, NKJV). People originate from God and belong to Him by
Creation and redemption. This is the sure basis for true human worth,
meaning, and destiny and also the sure basis for unity and communion
with God and with one another.
Although as humans we are different, living in a diverse world, yet
we all find our unity in God, our Creator.
6
Sunday
June 27
GOD IS ONE (Gen. 1:1, 2; Deut. 6:4; John 1:1-3).
What can we learn about God from the following texts?
Isa. 45:5, 6
John 17.3
1 Cor. 8:4-6
The God of Israel testifies: "I am the first and I am the last; apart
from me there is no God" (Isa. 44:6, NIV). In contrast to the nations
around them, Israel's confession of faith, called the "Shema," testifies
that there is one divinity. "Hear, 0 Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord
is one" (Deut. 6:4, NKJV). Jesus also emphasizes divine unity. He
begins His comments on the greatest commandments by quoting the
Shema (Mark 12:29).
What do these references from Genesis tell us about the nature of
the one God? Gen. 1:2, 26; 3:22; 11:7.
There seems to be a tension between Paul's statement that "there is no
God but one" (1 Cor. 8:4, NIV) and that there is one Spirit, one Lord, and
"one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all"
(Eph. 4:4-6). Consider also his reference to "one God and one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5).
However, reference to Jesus as mediator does not contradict His
divinity any more than His reference to Himself as God's unique Son
contradicts it. The Jews sought to kill Him because they understood
this to be a claim of equality with God (John 5:18). The apostle Paul
also regarded Christ as equal with God and therefore divine (Phil.
2:6). Similarly, reference to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of the Father
and of the Son (Gal. 4:4, 6) makes Him the divine Spirit. The Bible
teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together constitute divinity.
What relationship do you see between the Godhead and creation?
John 1:1-3, 14; 14:16, 17.
The Bible distinguishes God from His creation. Yet He has not
abandoned it, for He sustains and directs it. The Bible presents the
Creator as active within creation through the Father, the Son, and the
Spirit (John 5:17; 14:16, 17).
How is it encouraging to you to know that God did not aban-
don His creation but forever linked Himself with it?
7
Monday
June 28
EQUAL YET DISTINCT (John 1:1-18; 14:16-28; 16:5-16).
How can the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be equal and yet
different? 1 Pet. 1:2; John 20:28; Acts 5:3, 4.
The Bible presents the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as equally
divine yet distinct Persons. Christ is the express image of the Father's
Person (Heb. 1:3), but He is not the Person of the Father. The Holy
Spirit reflects the Son and the Father, but He is Himself a divine
Person. "There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of
three co-eternal Persons."—SDA Fundamental Belief, 2.
How do titles of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit indicate their equality?
Gen. 1:1; John 1:1-3; 2 Cor. 3:16-18; 11:31.
Titles that are used primarily for one divine Person are often attrib-
uted to the other divine Persons as well. According to the Gospel of John:
"In the beginning was the Word . . . and the Word was God.... All things
were made through Him" (1:1-3, NKJV). This echoes words from the
book of Genesis: "In the beginning God
[Elohim]
created the heavens
and the earth" (1:1). This suggests that the title
Elohim,
which is used for
God in the Old Testament, also applies to Christ through whom all things
were created. This is confirmed by the use of this title, as well as the
word
Father,
to refer to Christ in the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6. The sharing
of divine titles may explain why Jesus referred to the singular name of
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the baptismal formula. Paul uses the
titles God and Father interchangeably (2 Cor. 11:31). Christ and the
Spirit are also referred to as Lord (2 Cor. 3:14-18).
How does Scripture describe the creative activity of the three Per-
sons of the Godhead?
The Father (Gen. 2:7; Ps. 102:25; 1 Cor 8.6)
The Son (John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb 1.2)
The Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Job 26:13; 33:4; Isa. 40:12, 13)
What implications does the sharing of divine titles despite
different divine roles have for human relations in our homes, in
our churches, and in our society?
8
Tuesday
June 29
UNITED YET DISTINCT (Gen. 1:26, 27; 3:22; Mal. 2:10; John 14:10).
Explain the significance of what John 14:10 says about the
relationship between the Father and the Son?
Scripture describes each divine Person of the Godhead as having a
unique role in His relationship of mutual indwelling. While the Father
is not the Son, yet the Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father
(John 14:10). Thus Jesus says: "If you have seen me, you have seen
the Father" (John 14:9, Contemporary English Version). Jesus says
that the Father sends the Son and the Spirit (John 14:24, 26). The Son
sends the Spirit (John 15:26). Jesus gave Himself (John 6:51), yet He
was given by the Father (John 3:16) and by the Spirit (Matt. 1:18, 20).
The same is true when Paul writes of Jesus Christ: "through whom are
all things and through whom we exist" (1 Cor. 8:6, RSV). The Father's
work in Creation is also described by the word
through
(Rom. 11:36;
Heb. 2:10). Distinct roles of the three divine Persons may be described
in similar words.
Explain how creation reflects the unity and diversity of the Creator?
Gen. 1:26, 27; 3:22; Mal. 2:10.
Sinful human beings tend to overlook the important distinction
between the creation and the Creator. This leads to the worship of
creation rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:20-25). While sin distorts
God's creation, it does not completely destroy the revelation of God
in creation.
All things exist in a network of relationships. The world is shaped in
part by what human beings make of it. The image of God in creation
includes a diversity of human individuals united by relationships. This
reflects the fact that God is a Person experiencing time and space. He
said: "Let us make man in our image" (Gen. 1:26, KJV). The plural
image of male and female is simply "God's image" (Gen. 1:27). Con-
cerning human relations in general, Malachi asks: "Have we not all one
Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of
our fathers by breaking faith with one another?" (2:10, NIV).
As you read this statement, contemplate God's glorious plan for
you to reflect His image now and for eternity: "When Adam came
from the Creator's hand, he bore, in his physical, mental, and spir-
itual nature, a likeness to his Maker.... It was His purpose that the
longer man lived the more fully he should reveal his image. . . . All
his faculties were capable of
development."—Education,
p. 15.
9
Wednesday
June 30
BEGINNING, MIDDLE, AND END OF CREATION (Rev. 1:8).
What does Revelation 1:8 tell us about God and how He views the
past, the present, and the future?
The present and future nature of reality is determined in part by its
past history. God is Lord of time and eternity. The past is the divinely
sustained womb from which our present is birthed. The present is the
gift of Christ, in whom all things consist (Col. 1:17). The future is a
promise through the Spirit (Rom. 8:23, 24).
The unity of time in the past, present, and future reflects the unity of
God and His eagerness to bring all things to culmination. The whole
creation has been groaning for future restoration and for the manifes-
tation of all the redeemed at the Second Coming (Rom. 8:19, 23). We,
too, who have the first fruits of the Spirit groan inwardly as we eagerly
wait for our adoption as children of God and the redemption of our
bodies (Rom. 8:21-24).
It is interesting to note that the unity among the divine Persons is
also evident in the use of the terms
adoption
and
redemption
in
connection with the Spirit. The Bible also refers to adoption and re-
demption by the Father and the Son (Isa. 63:16; Heb. 9:12; Gal. 4:5; Eph.
1:5). Moreover, the future is described in terms of the Father. For when
the controversy between good and evil is over, Christ will subject
Himself to His Father and God will be all in all (1 Cor. 15:28).
How does God act in history? How did He act in the past? How does
He act in the present? How will He act in the future? 1 Cor. 10:1-4;
2 Cor. 5:19; Acts 1:11.
Scripture records the mighty acts of God as the Creator, Sustainer,
Deliverer, and as the One who intervenes within history. "All through
the pages of sacred history, where the dealings of God with His chosen
people are recorded . . . the glory of God was manifested through
Christ. Not alone at the Saviour's advent, but through all the ages after
the fall and the promise of redemption 'God was in Christ."
'—That I
May Know Him,
p. 102.
In the midst of history, God had acted in a special way in the
incarnation of Christ (2 Cor. 5:19), who was active with the Father and
the Spirit in the original Creation (John 1:1-3). This same Jesus (Acts
1:11) promised to return in history (John 14:1-3) in the glory of His
Father (Matt. 16:27) and the Spirit to inaugurate a new creation in
history (2 Pet. 3:13).
10
Thursday
July 1
SCRIPTURE AND THE PAST, THE PRESENT, AND THE
FUTURE (2 Pet. 3:5-7).
Naturalism may be defined as the teaching that scientific laws and
observations are sufficient to explain all reality without the supernatu-
ral. Why can't naturalism explain the unity of God's acts in the past,
present, and future of creation? 2 Pet. 3:4-7.
Scripture teaches that God sustains His creation moment by mo-
ment and that He has a goal for creation, which includes the restora-
tion of its original perfection. Yes, the creation is subject to futility
because of sin. But God will act decisively. When sin is eliminated,
fallen creation will come to an end. The creation of God will be
restored when sin and sinners are no more.
If we reject the miracles of the original creation and its present
sustenance, we are likely also to reject the miracle of its future re-
creation. God's Word guarantees the actions of God. The apostle Peter
writes that as the world was created by the Word of God, so its future is
determined by that same Word (2 Pet. 3:5-7).
God created human beings for face-to-face communion with Himself.
This communion was interrupted by sin but will be restored at the end
(Rev. 21:3). Christ promised to send to the church the Holy Spirit, who
would continue His work there. Neither Creation, the church, nor the
future re-creation to come can be explained by natural law independent
of God. The Scripture is essential to the understanding of Creation.
Why was the Bible given to us? 2 Tim. 3:16; Isa. 8:20.
As you reflect on the lesson for today, how does this statement
encourage you to put your full trust in God and His word? "God will
have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible
only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms.
The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds
or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant
as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the major-
ity—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or
against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or
precept, we should demand a plain 'Thus saith the Lord' in its support.
"Satan is constantly endeavoring to attract attention to man in
the place of God. He leads the people to look to bishops, to pastors,
to professors of theology, as their guides, instead of searching the
Scriptures . . . for themselves."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 595.
11
Friday
July 2
FURTHER STUDY:
For further insight on God's relation to His
creation, read Job, chapters 38-41, and
Patriarchs and Prophets,
"The
Creation," pp. 44-51.
"In dwelling upon the laws of matter and the laws of nature, many
lose sight of, if they do not deny, the continual and direct agency of
God. They convey the idea that nature acts independently of God,
having in and of itself its own limits and its own powers wherewith to
work. In their minds there is a marked distinction between the natural
and the supernatural. The natural is ascribed to ordinary causes, un-
connected with the power of God. . . .
"This is false science; there is nothing in the word of God to sustain
it. God does not annul His laws, but He is continually working through
them, using them as His instruments. . . . Nature in her work testifies of
the intelligent presence and active agency of a being who moves in all
His works according to His will. . . .
"The mechanism of the human body cannot be fully understood; it
presents mysteries that baffle the most intelligent. It is not as the result
of a mechanism, which, once set in motion, continues its work, that the
pulse beats and breath follows breath. In God we live and move and
have our being. Every breath, every throb of the heart, is a continual
evidence of the power of an ever-present
God."—Testimonies for the
Church,
vol. 8, pp. 259, 260.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
Do we
experience God differently as Father, as Son, and as Holy
Spirit? If
yes,
in
what ways?
2.
What spiritual lessons may we learn from the biblical teaching
on Creation that will prepare us for re-creation at the end?
3.
List ways in which Christ illuminates the past and the fu-
ture of creation.
4.
How can a biblical concept of Creation be compatible with
a scientific study of nature?
SUMMARY:
The triune God, who was, is, and is to come, created,
sustains, and will consummate all things through the Son by the Holy
Spirit. God holds the past, the present, and the future in His hands. The
reality of Creation is illuminated by the revelation of the triune nature of
God. We have assurance of these things because of the sure Word of
God, the Bible.
12
The Long Journey
J. H. Zachary
Eugene Again turned to his friend Serge Kolinsky. "We must return to
Votinsk (voh-TINSK)!"
Serge also had been thinking about the new believers the two had
brought to Christ in Votinsk. "I am eager to see our brothers and sisters
and to be sure that they are remaining faithful to God," Serge agreed.
Eugene, 20, and Serge, 19, had spent several months working as
Global Mission pioneers in Votinsk, a city some 550 miles from their
home town of Nizhni Novogrod (NEECH-nee NOV-oh-grod) in the
Russian Federation. They had raised up a small group of believers and
yearned to visit their new brothers and sisters and encourage them.
They had no money for train tickets, so they borrowed two bicycles
and set out for Votinsk. The snows of winter had given way to spring
rains, making the journey difficult. They stopped frequently to inflate a
leaky tire, and their ration of bread and cheese ran out before they reached
their destination, but the boys pressed on. Finally, after more than four
days, they arrived in Votinsk.
Word of their arrival spread quickly among their friends; that evening
the new believers greeted their former Bible teachers with love. With joy
the two youthful missionaries noted that the entire group of believers had
not only remained faithful, but were reaching out to others.
Eugene and Serge spent two weeks visiting and nurturing the believers
in Votinsk. And even though the trip home took nearly a week, they were
grateful for the chance to encourage the new believers.
Serge and Eugene have been assigned to a town not quite so far away,
where they are seeking out interests to start a new church.
The Quiet Hour has sponsored hundreds of Global Mission pio-
neers such as Eugene and Serge, who enter cities throughout the
former Soviet Union to study the Bible with interested people and
plant churches. These dedicated work-
ers usually remain for a year, teaching
and nurturing the new believers. When
properly grounded, these new believ-
ers remain firmly in the church when
the pioneers move on.
Eugene Again and Serge Kolinsky
(left). J. H. Zachary is evangelism
coordinator for The Quiet Hour in
Redlands, California.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness
E-mail: gomission@compuserve.com
13
Lesson 2
July 3-9
God's Two Books:
Scripture and Nature
Sabbath Afternoon
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: 2 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 1:20; 2:14, 15;
2 Pet. 1:19-21; Ps. 19; 33:4-9.
MEMORY TEXT: "For the word of the Lord is right, and all His
work is done in truth" (Psalm 33:4, NKJV).
KEY THOUGHT:
God communicates with fallen humanity through
His words in Scripture and His works in nature. Scripture illuminates
nature and nature testifies about God.
GOD'S WORDS AND WORKS ARE INSEPARABLE.
A student
studying about atoms and molecules in a chemistry lab, recognizing
the marks of a Grand Design, gave praise to God's creative genius."Leave
God out of this," his professor interrupted. The student however, kept
wondering, "How can the very Creator of the atom be excluded from
the study of His Creation!"
The idea that the Bible and nature can be studied together is
unacceptable to many because it challenges their theories of scientific
thought. Many in the scientific community regard the study of nature
and of Scripture as seperate and mutually exclusive realms of human
thought.
"The deepest students of science are constrained to recognize in
nature the working of infinite power. But to man's unaided reason,
nature's teaching cannot but be contradictory and disappointing. Only
in the light of revelation [Scripture] can it be read aright. 'Through faith
we understand.' Hebrews
11:3."—Education,
p. 134.
14
Sunday
July 4
THE BOOK OF NATURE (Ps. 19:1-6; Rom. 1:20; 2:14, 15).
What can you glean from 2 Peter 3:7-13 and Revelation 21:1-7,
23-27 to show that God's creation has been affected by sin and is
in need of restoration?
The communion among the divine Persons of the Godhead was there
before the creation of humanity. For example, "Let Us make man in
Our image" (Gen. 1:26, NKJV). Later, at Creation, God communed
with human beings (Gen. 1:28). This communion was interrupted by
sin (Gen. 3:8). However, God has bridged the separation between
Himself and humanity by His saving grace in Christ.
In what ways can we see God's attributes in nature? Rom. 1:20.
As Christians we appreciate divine revelation in nature, because we
have such a high regard for God the Creator. What may be known of our
God through nature is clearly revealed there. And though it has a
relationship with its Creator, nature remains distinct from Him. "The
work of the Creator as seen in nature reveals His power. But nature is
not above God, nor is God in nature as some represent Him to be. God
made the world, but the world is not God; it is but the work of His hands.
Nature reveals the work of a positive, personal God, showing that God
is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
—Manuscript Releases, vol.
4, p. 58.
Yes, God used nature to reveal many things about Himself, but in
that same nature His unique and most supreme revelation came through
Christ (Matt. 1:23). "There is nothing true but God; for Christ, the
revelation of God, is 'the truth.' He is also the reality, the fullness, of
everything that is, because he is the life—the whole of life. He is, and
without him there is nothing."—Advent Review and Sabbath Herald,
June 24, 1902.
What does Romans 2:14-16 tell us about those who do not have
a knowledge of Christ and the law of God? How do they "by
nature" do God's will? Explain how sin has distorted but not
destroyed God's revelation in nature.
In what ways have you experienced God's writing of His laws
in your heart and mind? How does contemplating His work in
nature help you grasp this spiritual reality?
15
Monday
July 5
THE BOOK OF SCRIPTURE (Ps. 19:7-11; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:19-
21).
To what extent does Scripture reveal God? Ps. 19:7-11; 2 Pet. 1:19-21.
What can be known of God from nature, as well, is revealed clearly
enough so that if we reject Him we are without excuse (Rom. 1:20).
According to the psalmist there is a word from God in His handiwork
in nature (Ps. 19:1-6). However, this word does not provide the full
knowledge of God. This full knowledge comes through His revelation
in the Bible; for His law is perfect and His testimony is sure (Ps. 19:7).
God's creation was originally very good (Gen.1:31). However,
because of sin, Peter refers to the world as a dark place where the light
of Scripture points to the even greater light of Jesus (2 Pet. 1:19-21).
Nevertheless, in spite of sin, "Nature still speaks of her Creator. Yet
these revelations are partial and imperfect. And in our fallen state, with
weakened powers and restricted vision, we are incapable of interpreting
aright. We need the fuller revelation of Himself that God has given in
His written word
."—Education,
p. 17.
God in His love desired that His Written Word be adapted to hu-
mans. He also sent His divine Son clothed in humanity. Explain why
this neither diminishes His Written Word nor His Living Word.
2 Pet. 1:19-21; Heb. 1:1.
The Word of God came through human beings who, though holy,
were finite (2 Pet. 1:19-21). God adapted His word to humanity by
speaking in different ways at different times (Heb. 1:1). Correct interpre-
tation of Scripture depends in part on recognizing that the infinite God
cannot be completely embodied in finite words. However, like the rev-
elation of God in the divine-human Person of Jesus, the revelation of
God in the divine-human Scripture is perfect for the purpose for which it
is designed.
"God has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in the
Bible. The writers of the Bible were God's penmen, not His pen. ... But
the words receive the impress of the individual mind. The divine mind is
diffused. The divine mind and will is combined with the human mind and
will; thus the utterances of the man are the word of
God."—Selected
Messages,
book 1, p. 21.
What does God's willingness to reach you where you are
say
about His love for you? What makes you confident in the Word
of
God as He has chosen to reveal it?
16
Tuesday
July 6
THE HARMONY OF NATURE AND SCRIPTURE (John 1:1-5;
Ps. 33:4; Job 12:7-10).
How does Scripture illuminate the study of nature? John 1:1-5;
Rom. 1:18-21.
The theme of the Bible is Jesus, through whom all things of nature
were created. When we reject His light revealed in Scripture, we are
left in darkness. Jesus, the Master Teacher, often employed object
lessons from His creation to illustrate gospel principles. The parables
are full of such examples. Our minds are to be enlightened by what the
Bible says about the creation. "The greatest minds, if not guided by
the word of God in their research, become bewildered in their attempts
to trace the relations of science and
revelation."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
p. 113. "Above all other people on earth the man whose
mind is enlightened by the word of God will feel that he must give
himself to greater diligence in the perusal of the Bible and a diligent
study of the
sciences."—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students,
p. 510.
In what ways does nature illuminate the study of Scripture? Job
12:7-10; Ps. 19:1-6.
The general revelation of divinity in nature is in a sense related to the
inspiration of the divine-human Scripture. While the Bible illuminates
nature, it is not to be regarded as a textbook for all facts about nature.
The study of nature from the standpoint of the Bible leads to a knowl-
edge of God. "In the study of the sciences also we are to obtain a
knowledge of the Creator. All true science is but an interpretation of the
handwriting of God in the material world. Science brings from her
research only fresh evidences of the wisdom and power of God."
—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 599. "As we observe the things of the
natural world, we shall be enabled, under the guiding of the Holy
Spirit, more fully to understand the lessons of God's word."
—Educa-
tion,
n 120
Recall a special time in your life when you enjoyed being in
nature, reflecting particulary on how the experience brought
you into a deeper closeness with God and His Word. Maybe you
were walking by a seashore, hiking in a forest, or climbing a
mountain. Are those special times only in your distant memory,
or are they still very much a present reality? Why not plan today
to spend some quiet time in nature, close to the Creator?
17
Wednesday
July
7
CONTRADICTION OF NATURE AND SCRIPTURE? (2 Pet. 3:3-13).
How should we respond to last-day scoffers who claim that there are
contradictions between God's promises in the Bible and the things
they observe in nature? 2 Pet. 3:3-7.
Observation of nature has led some to conclude that everything can
be explained by natural law alone. In other words, all things continue as
they were from the beginning. Even people who believe that God
created the universe often assume that natural law can explain its
history since Creation. However, the same Word that raised the dry
land out of the waters allowed the earth to be covered by a Flood. This
same Word sustains the world till its destruction by fire, and the same
Word will create it anew.
When our interpretations of Scripture and nature contradict each
other, we should reconsider our conclusions. Apparent contradiction
between nature and Scripture has led many to assume an inevitable
conflict of science with theology. However,
"The book of nature and
the written word do not disagree; each sheds light on the other.
Rightly understood,
they make us acquainted with God and his charac-
ter by teaching us something of the wise and beneficent laws through
which he works. We are thus led to adore his holy name, and to have
an
intelligent trust
in his word."—Ellen G. White in
Signs of the
Times®,
(March 20, 1884), number 12, emphasis supplied. (This con-
cept will be discussed further in lesson 10.)
What are the two reasons mentioned in 2 Peter 3:3, 5 that are at the
root of the scoffers' distrust of God's promises as they observe nature's
course?
Verse 3
Verse 5
Is it possible to harmonize incorrect interpretations of the world
and Scripture? Will we follow God's truth or our own self-centered
desires? "Inferences erroneously drawn from facts observed in nature
have . . . led to
supposed conflict
between science and revelation; and
in the effort to restore harmony, interpretations of Scripture have been
adopted that undermine and destroy the force of the word of God. . . .
In order to account for His works, must we do violence to His word?"—
Education,
pp. 128, 129, emphasis supplied.
How does 2 Peter 3:9 help you in times of impatience and doubt?
18
Thursday
July 8
RATIONAL AND FAITHFUL (Rom. 1:16-21; 1 Pet. 3:15).
How are faith and reason relevant to the study of both nature
and Scripture? Rom. 1:16-21.
The evil suppression of the truth (Rom. 1:18) in nature (1:19-21;
2:14, 15) results from a futile and foolish reasoning (1:22, 23). The
remedy to this foolishness is the righteousness of God, which comes
by faith alone (1:16, 17). However, Paul's emphasis on faith alone
points to its unique role. This does not mean faith without reason, for
faith does not negate reason, but it provides a foundation for it.
Scripture describes other such instances of singularity. The Bible
itself stands alone
(sola scriptura)
in its unique role as our rule for faith
and practice. However, Christ is the supreme revelation of God. Na-
ture plays its role, as well, in revealing God.
For Paul, faith is the antidote to the foolishness of sinners, and it is
reasonable in the light of Christ. He uses the Greek word
nous
(trans-
lated "mind") to indicate the seat of human understanding (1 Cor. 14:14-
19) and conviction (Rom. 14:5). However, the "reason" that Paul rejects
(Col. 2:8) is the "hollow and delusive speculations, based on traditions
of man-made teaching" (New English Bible); "intellectualism or high-
sounding nonsense" (Phillips); and "secondhand, empty, rational phi-
losophy" (Jerusalem Bible).
What do Paul and Peter tell us about using reasoning power in our
search for or defense of truth? Acts 17:2; 18:4, 19; 24:25; 1 Pet. 3:15.
We will take our reasoning power with us to heaven. However, it is a
sin to extol reason above Scripture or to the neglect of it. To place the
human in rivalry with the divine is deplorable. We can never adequately
explain Creation by reason alone. However, while God does not promise
to remove every doubt, He gives sufficient evidence for faith. The Bible
strengthens the intellect and is the source and standard for the reasons
for our faith in Jesus.
Considering our finite reason as compared to the wisdom of our
infinite God, is our faith strengthened or weakened by an absence of
supporting evidence?
The secular mind rejects belief in the unseen and exults "facts" over
faith, science over spiritual things. How have you responded to the
challenges that secular thinking poses to your belief in Creation?
19
Friday
July 9
FURTHER STUDY: Read the "Introduction" to
The Great Contro-
versy,
pp. v-xii; "The Inspiration of the Prophetic Writers" in
Selected
Messages,
book 1, pp. 15-21; and "Science and the Bible" in
Educa-
tion,
pp. 128-134.
"As divine truth is revealed in Holy Writ, so it is reflected, as from a
mirror, in the face of nature; and through his creation we become
acquainted with the Creator. And so the book of nature becomes a great
lesson book, which instructors who are wise can use, in connection
with the Scriptures, to guide lost sheep back to the fold of God. As the
works of God are studied, the Holy Spirit flashes conviction into the
mind. It is not the conviction which logical reasoning produces; but
unless the mind has become too dark to know God, the eye too dim to
see Him, the ear too dull to hear His voice, a deeper meaning is grasped,
and the sublime, spiritual truths of the written word are impressed on
the
heart."—Special Testimonies on Education,
p. 59.
"These words of Holy Writ say nothing of the independent laws of
nature. God furnishes the matter and the properties with which to carry
out His plans. He employs His agencies that vegetation may flourish.
He sends the dew and the rain and the sunshine, that verdure may
spring forth, and spread its carpet over the earth; that the shrubs and
fruit trees may bud and blossom and bring forth. It is not to be sup-
posed that a law is set in motion for the seed to work itself, that the leaf
appears because it must do so of itself. God has laws that He has
instituted, but they are only the servants through which He effects
results. It is through the immediate agency of God that every tiny seed
breaks through the earth, and springs into life. Every leaf grows, every
flower blooms, by the power of
God."—Selected Messages,
book 1,
p. 294.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
What would be your response if you were confronted with
an apparent contradiction between nature and Scripture?
2.
Is it reasonable to adjust the interpretation of nature in re-
sponse to insights from Scripture? Is it faithful to adjust the
interpretation of Scripture in response to insights from na-
ture? Explain why.
3.
Choose two "works of God" in nature to study. What does
the Holy Spirit teach you from such observation?
SUMMARY:
In spite of sin, God has communicated with humanity
through His Scriptures and through His works in nature. The Bible
gives us the foundation for understanding God's revelation in nature.
20
mak
The Bible and the Hymnal
Farid M. De la Rosa
Javier Perez was a young man with little to look forward to. His
marriage had failed; his furniture business was struggling, and his
nerves were a wreck. Moments of panic overtook him, but he had no
where to turn for help. As he looked at his life, he saw only senseless
waste. He was a failure.
Javier shivered in the chill night air of Cali, Colombia. He was
late for a business appointment. Finally the lights of the bus ap-
proached and stopped. He climbed the steps and found a seat.
Relaxing, he looked around. He noticed a woman holding a Bible
and hymnal.
Wednesday night,
Javier thought.
She must be going to
church.
Javier remembered the times he had attended church as a
child.
The Holy Spirit spoke to him; he stood and approached the
woman. "Pardon me, Miss," he said. "What church do you go to?"
The woman looked at him, surprised. "The Seventh-day Adventist
Church," she answered.
"You're an Adventist?" Javier asked, his interest rising. "May I
go with you to church?" Javier was so excited that he did not even
ask the name of the woman on the bus.
Javier followed the woman to the church. He enjoyed the wor-
ship, and when a friendly woman offered to study the Bible with
him, he agreed.
Javier's employees noticed the difference almost immediately.
He cut his long hair and shaved; his language and demeanor changed
too. With the support of church members, he struggled with other
life changes he needed to make. He quit working on Sabbaths and
several months later was baptized.
He has set aside a room in his store where he and his employees
pray for one another and the business. It has not been easy for Javier
to turn from the world. His business continues to struggle, but he
refuses to quit. "I will not turn back," he says. "The Lord will
provide for me."
Today, Javier seldom attends church alone. He brings someone
with whom he is sharing his faith, just as the woman on the bus
shared her faith simply by carrying her Bible and hymnal with her.
Farid M. De la Rosa is a pastor in Cali, Colombia.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness
'
E-mail: goinission@compuserve.com
21
Sabbath Afternoon
Lesson 3
July 10-16
But Did It Really Happen?
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Ps.
103:7; Isa. 46:9, 10; 2 Pet.
1:16-19; 3:3-7.
MEMORY TEXT: "I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I
will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your
work, and talk of Your deeds" (Psalm 77:11, 12, NKJV).
KEY THOUGHT:
Through His Word, God has given us a reliable
account of His workings in earth's history, in order to help establish
faith, give encouragement, and provide a better understanding of His
will for the present and future.
GOD'S WORD: A RELIABLE HISTORY.
A recent Public Broad-
casting Service special on Genesis aired to critical acclaim in North
America. While viewers across the nation found the program fascinat-
ing, a question that apparently lurked in the back of many minds was
openly voiced by
Newsweek
magazine, "But Did It Really Happen?" It
is one thing to read and even enjoy the stories of the Bible; it is quite
another to hold that they actually happened. Yet, if the statements of
the biblical writers are to be taken at face value, this is precisely what
they believed and what they intended their readers to believe.
"It [the Bible] came fresh from the fountain of eternal truth, and
throughout the ages a divine hand has preserved its purity. . . . In God's
Word only do we behold the power that laid the foundations of the earth
and that stretched out the heavens. Here only do we find an authentic
account of the origin of
nations."—Education,
p. 173, emphasis supplied.
22
Sunday
July 11
A
RELIABLE WORD OF GOD (Prov. 16:25; John 7:17; 14:26).
What does Proverbs 16:25 imply about the importance of an accu-
rate understanding of God's Word?
"The truth and the glory of God are inseparable; it is impossible for
us, with the Bible within our reach, to honor God by erroneous opin-
ions. Many claim that it matters not what one believes, if his life is only
right. But the life is molded by the faith. If light and truth is within our
reach, and we neglect to improve the privilege of hearing and seeing it,
we virtually reject it; we are choosing darkness rather than light."
—The Great Controversy,
p. 597.
What does Jesus say about the relationship between doing God's
will and understanding His teaching? John 7:17.
"The language of the Bible should be explained according to its
obvious meaning, unless a symbol or figure is employed. Christ has
given the promise: 'If any man will do His will, he shall know of the
doctrine.' John 7:17. If men would but take the Bible as it reads, if there
were no false teachers to mislead and confuse their minds, a work would
be accomplished that would make angels glad and that would bring into
the fold of Christ thousands upon thousands who are now wandering
in error."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 599.
What do Acts 17:11 and Isaiah 28:10 tell us about arriving at God's
truth?
"Scriptural difficulties can never be mastered by the same methods
that are employed in grappling with philosophical problems. We should
not engage in the study of the Bible with that self-reliance with which
so many enter the domains of science, but with a prayerful dependence
upon God and a sincere desire to learn His will."
—The Great Contro-
versy,
p. 599.
Jesus promised His disciples in John 14:26 that the Holy
Spirit "will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance
all things that I said to you" (NKJV). Recall particular instances
in your spiritual journey when the Holy Spirit helped you to
understand and to remember God's truth. How did such divine
insight comfort or help you in your situation?
23
Monday
July 12
THE DAYS OF OLD (Pss. 77; 105; 106; Isa. 51; Hos. 11).
What historical events did later biblical writers frequently refer
back to for understanding their current situation? Pss. 105; 106; Isa.
51; Hos. 11. Why do you think they did this?
Biblical writers frequently recounted earlier key events in their his-
tory, such as the Exodus, to give the people confidence and assurance
that God could and would see them through their present crisis. Claims
to the past also served as a motivator for the Israelites to take action
with confidence that God was leading them.
Therefore, unless, the Exodus actually took place, there is nothing
to the claim "I am the Lord God who brought you up out of the land of
bondage," a statement repeated 125 times in the Old Testament. If it
were believed that God hadn't really led them out of Egypt, why then
would later generations of Israelites pay any attention to any later
prophet's appeal based on that claim?
How did David regain confidence when
he was feeling discouraged?
Ps. 77:3-15.
Psalm 77 reflects a particularly low point in David's life. He felt
completely abandoned by God. But he regained his courage by remem-
bering, meditating on, and considering the mighty deeds that God had
accomplished in the past. He particularly took courage from remember-
ing how God had helped his people escape from the Egyptians through
the Red Sea, an event that was well in the past by David's time. The
remembrance of that miraculous event gave David hope for a genuine
deliverance from present and future troubles.
Suppose for a moment, David believed the history in the Scriptures
was made up of people who did not really live and who did things that
did not actually happen. How effectively, then, could he have trusted
in God's promises for deliverance? Belief that the Bible is merely
fiction, in whole or in part, undermines trust in God's promises and
ultimately dwarfs spiritual grouth.
Make a list of past events in your life in which you knew beyond
a doubt that God was involved. Perhaps God delivered you from
sickness or despair or even a financial crisis. Keep this list tucked
somewhere in your Bible so that, when you become discouraged,
you can meditate upon it as David did on his "list." Compare your
list with David's, noting any similarities. How did David's list
serve as a source of inspiration for him? How does it inspire you?
24
Tuesday
July 13
NO DEVISED FABLES (Luke 1:1-4; 1 Cor. 15:15; 2 Pet. 1:16).
How did the early Christian witnesses view the reliability of the
things they preached about? How did they expect their hearers to
respond? Luke 1:1-4; 1 Cor. 15:15; 2 Pet. 1:16, NIV.
Most of the messages in the Scriptures were originally directed to
the community of believers, whether ancient Israel or the early Christian
church. Therefore, the historical trustworthiness of the Scriptures was
usually not questioned. However, it could not necessarily be supposed
that these messages would automatically be accepted at face value
when witnessing outside the community of faith.
Peter recognized this as he prepared to share the "new light" of
Jesus with his listeners. He affirmed the historical reality of the things
he was describing by insisting that he and his friends had not followed
"cleverly invented stories!" Before writing his account of Jesus' life
and ministry, Luke carefully checked the available historical sources.
In the same way when Stephen (Acts 7) and Paul (Acts 24:14; 26:6-8,
22) defended their beliefs, each insisted on tying the rise of their new
Christian faith into the historic flow of Old Testament history. The
historical reality upon which their testimonies depended was a major
concern in their witnessing efforts.
To what event did Paul ultimately appeal in his attempt to persuade
the Athenians that they were all under the same invisible God? Why?
Acts 17:26, 27.
It is interesting that Paul used an argument derived from the table
of nations in Genesis 10 to convince the Athenians that all humans
were brothers and sisters and thus were all under that one invisible,
unnamed God.
Ellen White pointed out that the use of this argument by Paul (in
Acts 17:26, 27) "reveals the true philosophy of history. In those words
of matchless beauty and tenderness spoken by the apostle Paul to the
sages of Athens is set forth God's purpose in the creation and distribu-
tion of races and
nations."—Education,
pp. 173, 174. Implicit in
Paul's argument is an acceptance of the historicity of the idea that all
humans are descendants of Adam and Eve and descendants of Noah
after the Flood.
How does the fact that all
humans are related, brothers and
sisters, affect your relationship
with others?
25
Wednesday
July 14
HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CREATION (Dent. 32:6, 7;
Luke 17:26, 27; Rom. 5:12; 2 Pet. 2:5; Rev. 14:7).
How was the story of Creation viewed within the flow of biblical
history? Deut. 32:6, 7.
It is interesting how many times the word
remember
occurs in the
Old Testament. Repeatedly, the Israelites are told that if they want to
understand what is expected in the present, they must "remember" the
past. This shows the importance that history played in providing a
foundation for future understanding.
What do the following verses tell us about how the New Testament
writers viewed the historical reality of Genesis 1-11? Rom. 5:12;
2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:13, 14; 1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 2:5; 1 John 3:12;
Rev. 14:7.
As the various New Testament writers set out the doctrinal founda-
tions for the Christian faith in areas such as the Fall, marriage, worship,
spiritual renewal and salvation, baptism, judgment, and the Second
Coming, they repeatedly appealed to events in the first eleven chapters
of Genesis for the historical context that justified and made clear the
need for the doctrine. The New Testament affirms the historicity of
Genesis 1-11.
How did Jesus view the historical reality of the first eleven chapters
of Genesis? Matt. 19:4, 5; Mark 10:6; Luke 3:38; 17:26, 27.
Even more important than the attitude of the various New Testament
writers toward the Creation is that of our Lord Himself. Jesus repeatedly
referred to events in Genesis 1-11, indicating that He did believe they
really happened. He used the reality of these events to justify His
pronouncements on marriage and divorce, for example.
His comments in Matthew 19 on divorce are prefaced with the
challenging remark, "Have you not read . . . ?"(NKJV), making it
clear that Jesus saw the Creation account as authoritative. He then
goes on to remind His listeners that "at the beginning [the Creator]
`made them male and female."'
Certainly Jesus took the account of Creation as a literal and
historical event. How does His solid testimony boost your confi-
dence in God's Word? Why?
26
Thursday
July 15
DANGER OF IGNORING THE CREATION (2 Pet.
3:3-7;
Rev.
14:7).
Second Peter 3:3-7 tells us that in the last days people will be in
danger of forgetting what happened at Creation. Why is this? In what
ways have you seen it happening?
Here we read that in the last days there will be scoffers who will deny
the historical reality of both God's Creation of the earth, as depicted in
Genesis 1, and the Flood. The context of chapter 3 is the concern Peter
has of both false prophets and teachers who will introduce destructive
heresies among God's people (2 Pet. 2:1, NIV).
Both of these key events appear in the first eleven chapters of
Genesis, and they are generally denied by modern secular scholarship
as having any place in historical reality. The tendency is to explain
these chapters as some form of nonhistorical literature. The more com-
mon suggestions have been that these first eleven chapters are myth,
poetry, saga, parable, a theological statement, or something else but
not history. These chapters are theological, and in the original Hebrew,
considerable portions are poetic, but such facts in no way preclude
their being factual history.
What other reminder in the New Testament points us back to the
Creation? Rev. 14:7.
The first of the three angels' messages was to announce "the hour of
[God's] judgment" that began in 1844. It contains an explicit reminder to
"worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of
water." This is a virtual quote from Exodus 20:11 (the Sabbath com-
mandment), which, itself is referring to God's original proclamation
given in Genesis 2:2, 3. The fact that God felt it important to remind the
world to worship Him as the Creator reinforces the prediction of Peter
that, in the last days, people would forget their Creator.
Jot down the blessings that come from trusting God's record of
the early history of our world as you contemplate Ellen White's
account in
Medical Ministry,
p. 89: "We are dependent on the Bible for
a knowledge of the early history of our world, of the creation of man,
and of his fall. Remove the word of God, and what can we expect than
to be left to fables and conjectures, and to that enfeebling of the
intellect which is the sure result of entertaining error. We need the
authentic history of the origin of the earth, of the fall of the covering
cherub, and of the introduction of sin into our world. "
27
Friday
July 16
FURTHER STUDY: Use a Bible concordance and look up the word
remember.
How often does it appear that God asked His people to
remember His past deeds in their behalf? Why would He do this?
"Science is ever discovering new wonders; but she brings from her
research nothing that, rightly understood, conflicts with divine revela-
tion." "Both the revelations of science and the experiences of life are in
harmony with the testimony of Scripture."—Education, pp. 128, 130.
"But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible,
and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all
reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the
creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and dis-
cordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the
majority—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for
or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine
or precept, we should demand a plain, 'Thus saith the Lord' in its
support."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 595.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
Do
we
have all the details of how God created the world?
From a human perspective would this even be possible? Is a
record of
every
detail of a historical event necessary for an
account to be historically accurate or reliable? Explain why,
or why not.
2.
How important is the historicity of an event in the Bible to our
understanding of God and His plan of salvation for us?
3.
A scholar recently asked the question that if Jericho was not
razed is our faith in vain? What do you think?
4.
Do you
see
implicit in Paul's argument in Acts 17:26, 27 the
idea that we are also all sinners and in need of the Creator's
offer of salvation? Explain your answer.
SUMMARY:
We can have confidence in God's Word; not just in its
theological statements but also in its historical accounts. This includes
the story of Creation and the Flood. By reviewing how God has worked
with His people in the past, we can have confidence in the future.
28
The Master Conductor, Part 1
Mateus Barroso
When a musician plays one instrument's part of an orchestra
arrangement, the listener may question that the notes could ever
make great music. Perhaps a single note is held over several
measures, or a series of quick runs is followed by rests that seem to
make no sense. But when the conductor brings the orchestra to-
gether, those apparently haphazard notes blend to create music that
stirs the soul.
So it is with life. The parts we are given to play may seem
haphazard and make little sense until God, the Master Conductor,
blends the parts of many performers to create a masterpiece of
beautiful harmony. We may be unable to see God's overall plan,
but if we trust Him and play our part in faith, He will blend it with
other parts into one perfect whole.
Janoario and Raimunda Costa lived in a small town in northeast-
ern Brazil. The family loved God and enjoyed studying the Bible
together. One day Mr. Costa discovered that the Sabbath, which he
had thought was a commandment given to the Jews, was in fact a gift
to all humanity. He asked his pastor why Christians do not observe
God's Sabbath, but the pastor brushed his question aside.
Disappointed in his pastor's response, Costa quit attending church,
but he continued studying the Bible at home with his family. The
Costas were convinced that the Sabbath was still binding; they
worshiped in their home on Sabbath, for they knew of no other
Christians who kept Sabbath.
Then one day Francisco, a traveling photographer, arrived in
the little town where the Costas lived. This man was an Adventist
lay evangelist who used his skills in photography to meet people
and share his faith in Christ. Someone told him of the Costa
family, who worshiped in their home on Saturday.
Francisco found the Costas and introduced himself. As they
shared their faith with one another, excitement mounted. Francisco
realized that God had led this family to embrace Bible truths even
without a teacher. And the Costas were thrilled to learn that other
Christians keep God's seventh-day Sabbath. The photographer
introduced the Costas to his friends Valerio and Florencio, laymen
from a town some 34 miles away. These men began to study the
Bible with the Costas.
(continued next week)
Mateus
Barroso is a pastor in Ze Doca, Maranhao, Brazil.
Produced by the General Conference Office of
Mission Awareness
E-mail: gomissionq,
ecompuserve.com
29
Lesson 4
July 17-23
Creation in Six Days
SINTYSNIVS
Sabbath Afternoon
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Gen. 2:1-3; Exod. 20:8-11; Pss.
33:6, 9; 104; Heb. 1:10; 2 Pet. 3:3-5.
MEMORY TEXT: "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and
the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day.
Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it"
(Exodus 20:11, NKJV).
KEY THOUGHT:
The Bible teaches that both the habitats and the
life forms of our planet were created by God in six literal, consecutive,
24-hour days. God celebrated this activity by resting on, blessing, and
making holy the seventh day.
CREATION IN ONE WEEK!
The lessons for this week and next will
focus on a biblical teaching that is considered by secular science as
incredible and naive at best—that life on this planet was created by the
Word of God in only six days, only a few thousand years ago. This
particular biblical teaching, once commonly accepted, has been virtu-
ally rejected in the modern world.
There is no doubt that the challenges posed by secular scientists are
many and difficult. That is not to say that there are not some possible
viable alternate interpretations of the scientific data. However, our task
here is to determine what the Bible does say on this matter. We will also
want to learn what the Spirit of Prophecy can tell us about this subject,
since the theory of evolution was already one of the challenges that our
earlier pioneers had to face.
30
Sunday
July 18
CREATION IN ONE WEEK (Gen. 1:1-2:3).
According to Genesis 1:1-2:3, how long did God take to create
our present world and the various life forms that live on it? What
clues do these verses give us that imply literal, 24-hour days?
The Hebrew word for day is
yom.
It is true that on occasion
yom
can
mean an indefinite period of time (just like the word
day
in English).
Some scholars have used this to propose that the six days of Creation
were vast periods of time. They often cite passages like Psalm 90:4 in
support of their position. However, the common usage
of yom
is for the
24-hour day. A basic rule in translation is for the common meaning to be
utilized unless the context provides a clear indicator or sign that a
different meaning is intended.
Such signs are missing in Genesis 1, and there are several indicators
that point directly to a literal, 24-hour day. One is the way that the days
are designated by ordinal numbers ("day one," "day two," etc.). This
is done only when a 24-hour day is intended. Another is that the days
are set off by the expression "and there was evening, and there was
monting"(NIV). Again, this is done in Hebrew only when a literal 24-
hour day is meant. There are several more technical arguments involv-
ing grammar and syntax that also support the 24-hour-day meaning for
the word
day.
Most scholars believe that the writer indeed meant to
convey the idea of a literal 24-hour day. However, many of them still
do not accept what the text says, because it contradicts their under-
standings of the findings of evolutionary theory.
How did Ellen White view the days of that first week?
"I was then carried back to the creation and was shown that the first
week, in which God performed the work of creation in six days and
rested on the seventh day, was just like every other week. The great
God in his days of creation and day of rest, measured off the first cycle
as a sample for successive weeks till the close of time. . . . God gives
us the productions of his work at the close of each literal day."
—Spiritual Gifts, vol.
3, p. 90.
What does it mean to you that God said what He meant and
meant what He said regarding the six literal days of Creation?
What does this say to you about the power of God and His
character? What principles for keeping the Sabbath holy can
you draw from Exodus 20:8-11?
31
Monday
July 19
THE FIRST AND SECOND DAYS OF CREATION (Gen. 1:3-8).
Why do you think God created light on the first day of Creation?
Gen. 1:3-5.
Students of the Bible have often wondered what the source for the
light of day one was, especially since the sun is not mentioned until day
four. Was the light of day one simply the phenomenon of light? (This
seems unlikely since light surely existed in heaven and on other planets
prior to the creation of our earth). Was it a diffused solar light that
penetrated some sort of vapor canopy? (This assumes that the sun was
not created on day four but was only "revealed.") Or, was it the light
that emanates from God? The
SDA Bible Commentary, vol.
1, p. 210
suggests the latter. The Bible often refers to God as light or as a source
of light (1 John 1:5).
In ancient times, the sun, moon, and stars were seen by many as
divine entities. The light that emanated from them would have been
understood as the creation of these deities. By separating the light of
day one from any of these heavenly bodies, the writer of Genesis 1 was
in essence "depriving them of every creative dignity." The ultimate
source of all light is only God.
What questions come to your mind about the firmament and its
relationship to the water? Gen. 1:6-8.
The Hebrew word that is often translated firmament is
raqia.
An
earlier generation of scholars thought this word referred to an inverted
metal bowl or sheet that was thought to cover the earth. They also
thought that it reflected the early Hebrews' naive view of the world,
which they had borrowed from neighboring pagan cultures. However,
this interpretation has been shown to be false by Assyriologist Alan
Millard.
Raqia
does not refer to a material substance; rather, it simply
refers to an expanse. In this case it is something that includes, but is not
entirely equated with, what we call the atmosphere.
The Hebrew synonym in Genesis 1:8 is
shamayim,
translated as
"sky" or "heaven" and refers simply to the expanse that exists above
the line of the horizon. Some creationists have suggested that the
waters "above the firmament" refer to a high-altitude vapor canopy that
protected our planet before the Flood, but the more obvious under-
standing is that it simply refers to clouds. On day two God is creating
the stage or areas for what He will create on day five—the birds, fish,
and animals.
32
Tuesday
July 20
THE THIRD DAY OF CREATION (Gen. 1:9-13; Ps. 104:5-9).
Explain how the earth and the seas emerged on the third day of
Creation. Gen. 1:9-13; Ps. 104:5-9.
The forces described here are enough to excite the imagination of
any geologist, especially those who firmly believe in Scripture. Bible-
believing geologists have wondered whether any of this powerful ac-
tivity can still be discerned in the geologic record—especially since
much of that record was altered at the time of the Flood.
What did the dry ground "bring forth"? Gen. 1:11-13.
After the dry ground emerged, God commanded the land to produce
vegetation—specifically seed-bearing plants and trees that would pro-
duce fruits. An interesting question that some Creation scientists have
asked is whether or not these plants would have had the appearance of
age. If you would have cut down one of the trees created on day four,
would it have had tree rings, which indicate the number of years of
growth? Since the rings are necessary for life and support, many scien-
tists assume they would have. This would give the trees an "apparent"
age, much older than they really were. This type of process may explain
why some things in nature appear older than they really are.
What does the expression "according to their kinds" mean? See
Gen. 1:11, 12.
Some have seen the English expression that describes these plants
as producing "according to their kinds"(NIV) as a way of affirming
their fixity— that no new "kinds" have come into existence since God
created the original "kinds." Actually, the probable intent of the He-
brew was to indicate that fruit-beating plants were to be produced "in
all their varieties." The expression does not deny or affirm fixity of
species. In the larger picture of chapter one, however, it is clear that
the Bible writer sees God as the only originator of all things on this
planet. Neither pagan gods nor natural processes is allowed to usurp
God's role as the Creator.
Take some time to observe a blade of grass, smell a flower, or
pick and eat a fruit you like. Write down the things that come to
your mind. What does this teach you about the love and wisdom
of God the Creator? Pause to thank Him.
33
Wednesday
July 21
FILLING THE EARTH: DAYS FOUR TO SIX OF CREATION
(Gen. 1:14-25).
Why are the names of the sun and moon not given in Genesis
1:14-19?
Many scholars believe that the reason the sun and moon are not
mentioned by name is that the Semitic names for them were seen by
many of Israel's neighbors as names for deities. The author of Genesis
wanted to leave no doubt that these lights were not gods but merely
objects created by God. Thus, the proper names were carefully avoided
in this verse. Moreover, the text makes it clear that their reason for
existing was appointed solely by God.
Some students of Hebrew have noted that the Hebrew word for
"made," asah,
is not the same word as that used for "create,"
bara,
in
earlier verses. Perhaps the intent is not to say that the sun, moon, and
stars were created on day four but were rather "appointed" or "set" to
their tasks on this day—God was still ultimately their Creator. Light
was needed the first day to mark off the daily cycle of light and
darkness. However, the place where the sun and moon would reside
had not been provided until the firmament had been created on day
two. The sun, moon, and stars would begin functioning in their ap-
pointed way and place on day four.
Others believe that the best translation does mean that the sun and
moon came into existence for the first time on day four. Even if the best
translation of the text is that the sun and moon came into existence on
day four, many scholars believe that the Hebrew suggests that the stars
had already been created. Ellen White seems to indicate that other stars
and even planets with intelligent beings on them were created prior to
our own earth—so some stars must have been in existence before day
four. (See
Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 69.)
Describe the activities of days five and six. Gen. 1:20-25.
Continuing the pattern of Creation, where days one to three pre-
pared the environments for the creatures made on days four to six,
God, on day five, filled the stage He had prepared on day two. The
conclusion of the symmetrical pattern of Creation comes on day six
when
all
the animals are brought forth to fill the land that God created
on day three. The variety of animal life is broadly inclusive.
Jesus says to us, "You are the light of the world" (Matt.
5:14).
How
can Jesus be the greater light and you the lesser light in life?
34
Thursday
July 22
ADAM AND EVE: THE CROWNING ACT OF CREATION (Gen.
1:26-29; Ps. 8:4-8; Rom. 5:12-14; 1 Cor. 15:22).
In what way was the climactic act of God's creative activity on the
sixth day different from what had already preceded? Why did this
happen at the end? Gen. 1:26-29.
"Here is clearly set forth the origin of the human race; and the divine
record is so plainly stated that there is no occasion for erroneous
conclusions. God created man in His own image. Here is no mystery.
There is no ground for the supposition that man was evolved by slow
degrees from the lower forms of animal or vegetable
life."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
pp. 44, 45.
Why is the historical accuracy of the story of Adam and Eve so
important theologically? Gen. 2 and 3; Rom. 5:12-14, 18-20.
One of the clear teachings of Genesis is that humans came into
existence directly as a creative act by God. This is clearly in contrast to
the prevailing theory of the evolutionary origin of humankind. If all
humans are not descendants from a literal, historical first couple who
fell and needed redemption, then the essence of Christianity and our
need for Jesus as a Saviour is seriously undermined. There have been
those Christians who, in trying to find a compromise with evolution,
have suggested that God used the process of evolution to bring hu-
mans into existence, stating that the Fall came as a result of groups of
humans rejecting God as they became aware of their individuality.
Besides contradicting the plain reading of Scripture, such a view
raises more questions than it solves. However, the biblical view teaches
that we are all made in God's image, descendants of Adam and Eve
and brothers and sisters in need of a Savior.
But what does it mean for us to be created in the "image of God"?
(Gen. 1:26, 27; Ps. 8:4-8). Does it refer to a physical or a spiritual
resemblance? The Old Testament commentator Gerhard von Rad cor-
rectly realized that
both
are intended here. This view is endorsed by
Ellen White. "Man was to bear God's image, both in outward resem-
blance and in character. . . . His nature was in harmony with the will of
God. His mind was capable of comprehending divine
things."—Patri-
archs and Prophets,
p. 45.
Because we are created in God's image and are therefore
sisters and brothers by creation and redemption, how should we
then treat one another?
35
Friday
July
23
FURTHER STUDY:
Hebrew writers, even when writing historical
accounts, often built poetry and symmetry into their literary structure.
Compare the first three days of Creation with the last three days. How
does day four relate to day one? Day five with day two? Day six with
day three? During the first three days God made habitats; during the
second three days He filled them.
"The sophistry in regard to the world's being created in an indefinite
period of time is one of Satan's falsehoods. God speaks to the human
family in language they can comprehend. . . . When the Lord declares
that He made the world in six days and rested on the seventh day, He
means the day of twenty-four hours, which He has marked off by the
rising and setting of the
sun."—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel
Workers,
pp.
135, 136.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
Explain how Genesis 1 does not only make a theological point
but is also a historical account.
2.
Someone suggests to you that the Bible only tells us who cre-
ated, not how—implying that God may have used slow
processes that took millions of years. Doesn't Genesis also
tell us how? How do you respond to such a person?
3.
Why does a biblical account not have to be complete in every
detail to be considered historical? Explain. What kind of
details are included in our present account? Why are such
details adequate?
4.
What is your reaction to this statement? "Such teaching
[evolution of man] lowers the great work of the Creator to the
level of man's narrow, earthly conceptions. Men are so intent
upon excluding God from the sovereignty of the universe
that they degrade man and defraud him of the dignity of his
origin."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
p. 45.
SUMMARY:
According to the biblical evidence, the writer of Genesis
intended to describe the Creation as an event that took six literal days
and that all things came into existence by the power of God's spoken
Word.
36
mak
The Master Conductor, Part 2
Mateus Barroso
Janoario and Raimunda Costa of Brazil are diligent Bible stu-
dents. When Mr. Costa discovered the Sabbath truth, he asked his
pastor why Christians did not keep the Sabbath. His pastor's answer
did not satisfy him, so he and his family began studying the Bible '
together at home. They knew of no other Sabbath-keeping Christians
until they met Francisco, a photographer and Adventist lay worker.
He introduced the family to his friends Valerio and Florencio, who
offered to study the Bible with the family.
Because Valerio and Florencio lived about 34 miles away through
the jungle, they could not meet regularly with the Costa family.
But when they did come, the small group spent many hours study-
ing the Bible together. As they studied, Valerio and Florencio
shared other Bible truths with them. After studying with the Adventist
layworkers for a year, Mr. and Mrs. Costa and five of their chil-
dren were baptized.
The family shared the gospel with others in their town. Because
there was no Adventist church in the area, the Costas opened their
simple mud house for the little group to meet on Sabbath. During
the week Mr. Costa used the front room as a carpentry shop. On
Friday the family cleaned the room and arranged the simple fur-
nishings for a church.
Soon after the Costas were baptized, another Adventist family
moved to town. It was not long before the families found one
another. Others joined the branch Sabbath School, and soon they
needed a larger place to meet. They built a chapel of mud bricks
and palm branches.
The group continued to grow, and the conference sent a Bible
worker to help the lay people establish a church there. Then one
of
the church members, who had been quite sick, promised God that
if he recovered, he would build a proper church. Another member
provided land for the church, and the little congregation joined
hands to build their church. The group continues to grow.
The Costas have since moved to another town, where they
are
working to plant another church. Today, because of lay people such
as Janoario and Raimunda Costa, Francisco, Valerio, and Florencio,
who are playing the parts that God has assigned to them, the heav-
enly music that they produce is bringing souls to God's kingdom,
and the church in northeastern Brazil is growing rapidly.
Mateus Barroso is a pastor in northern Brazil.
Produced by the General
Conference Office
of
Mission Awareness
E-mail: gomission@compuserve.com
37
Lesson 5
July 24-30
A Recent Creation
Sabbath Afternoon
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Gen.1:1, 2; 5;11; Rom. 8:19-
21; 2 Pet. 3:3-7.
MEMORY TEXT: "For the earnest expectation of the creation
eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the
creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of
Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also
will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glori-
ous liberty of the children of God" (Romans 8:19-21, NKJV).
KEY THOUGHT:
The Bible presents the history of this planet as a
great controversy between Jesus and Satan that has been going on for
a few thousand years. Throughout history, God has been aware of the
sufferings of the inhabitants of earth and has desired to bring pain,
suffering, and death to an end as soon as possible.
A RECENT CREATION.
One of the most hotly debated topics of
modern times is the question of how life came to exist on earth. There
are two basic choices: (1) through slow, naturalistic processes of
evolution or (2) through a recent, fiat Creation. Closely related to that
topic is the question of time—how long has life been on this planet?
The contrast is stark—either hundreds of millions of years or a few
thousand years. The conclusions of modern evolutionary science have
made the defense of a recent Creation less and less popular even
among conservative Christian denominations. The arguments pre-
sented here are based on the acceptance of God's Word.
38
Sunday
July 25
HOW LONG? (Gen.
1:1, 2; 2 Pet.
3:3-5; Gen. 5 and
11).
Do we know how long it has been since Creation week? Do
these passages in Genesis 1:1, 2; chapters 5 and 11; 2 Peter 3:3-5
suggest that the world is about six thousand years old?
It must be recognized that there is no single verse in the Bible that
tells us precisely in what year or how long ago Creation week took
place. Nevertheless, there is a considerable amount of chronological
data in the Bible that, when looked at collectively, points to a recent
Creation. For this reason, the idea that the first week of Creation oc-
curred only a few thousand years ago has been the general understand-
ing of both Jewish and Christian believers throughout history. This
understanding was almost universally accepted among believers until
the nineteenth century, when findings of modern geology began to
challenge that conclusion. Ellen White said that "Many who profess to
believe the Bible are at a loss to account for wonderful things which are
found in the earth, with the view that creation week was only seven
literal days, and that the world is now only about six thousand years
old."—Signs of the Times®,
(March 20, 1879), vol. 5, number 12.
Over the centuries, many students of the Bible have been fascinated
by the chronological data in the Bible and have attempted to use that
information to reconstruct a chronology of the world. However, the
chronological material in the Bible is not always easy to understand,
and scholars have not been able to agree on a single biblical chronol-
ogy. Thus, it is not surprising that by 1738, Des Vignolles of the Royal
Society of Berlin, could claim that he knew of at least 200 biblical
chronologies, with the dates for Creation ranging from 3500 to 7000 B.C.
The most familiar of these chronologies was that of the Archbishop
James Ussher (1581-1656), of Armagh, Northern Ireland, whose time
scheme was widespread because it was selected for use in the margins
of the King James version of the Bible in A.D. 1679. According to
Ussher's time scheme, Creation took place in the year 4004 B.C.
Ussher's date was later refined by Dr. John Lightfoot, of Oxford, who
argued (unfortunately without solid biblical support) that Adam was
created at 9:00 a.m. on October 23, 4004 B.C.!
There are other evidences besides Ussher for a short chronology.
The 200-plus different biblical chronologies noted by Des Vignolles tell
us two things. First, it tells us that biblical data can be put together or
interpreted in many different ways. This teaches us not to be too
dogmatic. Second, all of these chronologies point to a recent Creation.
Thus, in spite of some uncertainties, there is no reason for suggesting
that the Bible teaches that Creation occurred millions of years ago, or
over a period of many millions of years.
39
Monday
July 26
GAPS IN TIME? (Ezra 7:1-5; 1 Chron. 6:3-15).
Can anything be found concerning gaps
in the biblical ge-
nealogies?
Ezra 7:1-5; 1 Chron. 6:3-15.
Some have suggested that the amount of time that has elapsed since
Creation week might be extended if there were generational "gaps" in
the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11. It is true that often in both the
modern and ancient Near Eastern genealogies, the father-son relation-
ship is not always meant to be taken as direct—the so-named "father"
may actually be a grandfather, great-grandfather, etc. There appear to
be such cases of compressed genealogies in portions of the Bible
written later. For example, if the genealogy of Ezra 7:1-5 is compared
with the one given in 1 Chronicles 6:3-15, it appears that six generations
are omitted in Ezra. Apparently, in this passage, noting the line of
descent was more important than providing the complete record of the
genealogy (see
SDA Bible Commentary, vol.
1, p. 186).
Genealogies were produced by ancient peoples for a variety of
reasons. Many ancient Near Eastern genealogies that have been dis-
covered were produced by the sociopolitical elite of large state or
government bureaucracies. The genealogies produced were, not
surprisingly, usually concerned with the succession of office
holders—especially kings, and also on occasion, priests (who func-
tioned politically as well as religiously) and scribes. The purpose of
these genealogies was to give status to individuals and to justify their
holding of an office or certain land.
Later biblical genealogies—especially after the rise of the monar-
chy—also at times had this purpose. The Israelite exiles returning to their
homeland were undoubtedly concerned on occasion as to how they could
reclaim ancestral lands, and genealogies might be important in assisting
them in this purpose. Genealogies would also be important for determin-
ing the legitimacy of those who claimed to have rights to certain offices,
especially levitical offices. This may be part of the reason why the books
of Ezra and Nehemiah recorded genealogies of the returning exiles (see
Ezra 7 and 8 and Nehemiah 7). Disputations over genealogies to estab-
lish one's rights or status in society is probably what was behind Paul's
caution not to waste time arguing about genealogies (1 Tim. 1:4 and
Titus 3:9); it was not a concern over chronology. By contrast, the
genealogies of Genesis 1-11 have a different function, which clearly
reflects the concerns of a premonarchal, tribally structured society (the
people for whom Moses was originally writing). The genealogies, thus,
are uniformly concerned with ancestral lines that involve relationships
that are only those of kinship; not of office and land-holding where
compressed genealogies were sufficient.
40
Tuesday
July 27
THE DIFFERENT PURPOSES FOR ANCIENT GENEALOGIES
(Gen. 5; 11).
After reading the following explanation, do you think there are gaps
in the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11?
There are several reasons for believing that the genealogies of
Genesis 5 and 11 were not deliberately compressed as others sometimes
were. First, these early biblical genealogies cannot be simplistically
compared with other ancient Near Eastern genealogies, or even those
that appear later in the Bible. None of the ancient Near Eastern
examples have a precise parallel with the way the genealogies of
Genesis 1-11 are written (see Richard Hess,
Biblica,
vol. 70, pp. 241-
245).
Specifically, the genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11, are unique in that
they are expressed in what is called a "chrono-genealogical" formula.
That is, when person X lived so many years, he begot person Y; after
he begot Y, he lived so many more years; altogether he lived Z years.
(See
Origins, vol.
7, no. 1, 1980, pp. 23-37; vol. 7, no. 2, 1980, pp. 53-
70.) As T. C. Hartman observes, the length of years lived and the age
at which the next figure named was begotten "is never recorded in the
Ancient Near Eastern king lists. This is in contrast to the biblical
genealogies for whom the only purposes in using numbers seems to be
that of recording the life span of each name bearer and the age at
which he begot the next name bearer. . . ."—"Some Thoughts on the
Sumerian King List. . . ,"
Journal of Biblical Literature,
vol. 91, pp.
25-32. Not only is this formula unique to the Bible, it is constructed so
tightly as to make it impossible to disrupt by the insertion of a genera-
tional gap.
This tightness is reinforced by the Hebrew verb used in these
passages "begot"
(wayyoled-et);
it is the verb most commonly used in
the Bible to express the actual physical fathering of an offspring (Judg.
11:1; 1 Chron. 8:9; 14:3; 2 Chron. 11:21; 13:21; 24:3). When combined
with the unique genealogical formula, it is virtually impossible to insert
generational gaps into these particular genealogies. The combination
of the unique time formula with this verb form suggests that the author
of Genesis 1-11 was interested in both time and the accuracy of this
genealogy.
When you consider all the seemingly uninteresting genealo-
gies in the Bible, why do you think God wanted them there? In
light of what we have just studied about genealogies, how might
an understanding of the way they function in the Bible strengthen
one's belief in Creation?
41
Wednesday
July 28
NOT WITHOUT WITNESSES.
What insights does the Spirit of Prophecy give concerning the
purpose of these early genealogies, as well as the possibility of
gaps? (See
Patriarchs and Prophets,
pp. 125, 83.)
In
Patriarchs and Prophets,
Ellen White emphasizes an important
point—that God has never been without faithful witnesses on the earth
(p. 125). Thus, she writes, "The antediluvians . . . had no written
records; but . . . had strong memories, able to grasp and to retain that
which was communicated to them, and in turn to transmit it unimpaired
to their posterity. And for hundreds of years there were seven genera-
tions living on the earth
contemporaneously,
having the opportunity
of consulting together and profiting each by the knowledge and ex-
perience of all."—Page 83, emphasis supplied.
According to Ellen White, how did Enoch learn of the Fall and the
plan of salvation? (See
Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 84.)
Enoch heard "from the lips of Adam" the "dark story of the Fall"
and the story of "God's grace as seen in the promise"—page 84. The
idea that Enoch could have met Adam is possible only if one assumes
that the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 are to be taken in a straight-
forward manner as they read—with no gaps. If this is the case, then
Adam and Enoch would have overlapped by 308 years (see
SDA Bible
Commentary, vol.
1, p. 185).
Based on the explanation below, for what major event did Enoch's
translation serve as a warning?
Enoch's translation to heaven just before the Flood is paralleled by
the translation of the living righteous from the earth and the destruction
of the wicked at the Second Coming. Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
listened to the preaching of his grandson Noah, who faithfully warned
the inhabitants of the old world that a flood of waters was coming.
Methuselah, his sons, and grandsons lived in the time of the building of
the ark. They, with some others, received instruction from Noah and
assisted him in building the ark. (See
Spiritual Gifts,
vol. 3, pp. 59, 60.)
Enoch walked with God prior to his translation from this world
to heaven. Walking with Him here leads us to walking with Him there.
How am I walking with Jesus here and now as I await His soon coming?
42
Thursday
July 29
THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY ON THE AGE OF THE EARTH.
What was Ellen White's view on the age of the earth?
There is no doubt whatsoever that Ellen White endorsed a recent
Creation—that is, that Creation week took place only a few thousand
years ago. Scores of times she makes reference to the fact that "the
world is now only about six thousand years
old."—The Spirit of
Prophecy, vol.
1, p. 87. Some have wondered whether the six-thou-
sand-year figure she repeatedly used was something revealed to her by
the Lord or whether it was a figure she used from the margin of the
King James Bible, much as she used facts from history books.
While it is true that she never explicitly indicated that the 6,000-year
figure was revealed to her from the Lord, she was quite specific in
stating that the Lord's revelations to her explicitly denied a date for
Creation earlier than that permitted by the Scriptural account. "But
apart from Bible history, geology can prove nothing. Those who reason
so confidently upon its discoveries have no adequate conception of the
size of men, animals, and trees before the Flood, or of the great changes
which then took place. Relics found in the earth do give evidence of
conditions differing in many respects from the present, but the time
when these conditions existed can be learned only from the Inspired
Record. In the history of the Flood, inspiration has explained that
which geology alone could never fathom."—
Patriarchs and Proph-
ets,
p. 112.
Earlier, in reference to the "day-age" theory, she explicitly denies the
claim of unbelieving geologists who claim that the world is very much
older than the Bible record makes it. She notes that such geologists
"reject the Bible record, because of those things which are to them
evidences from the earth itself, that the world has existed tens of
thousands of
years."—Spiritual Gifts,
vol. 3, pp. 91, 92.
These statements suggest that if one were to challenge Ellen White
on the 6000 years, her answer would simply be—"Fine, let's see what
the Bible says and follow its lead." However, the Lord left no doubt in
her mind that the time back to Creation was to be measured only in
thousands of years—not millions, hundreds of thousands, or even tens
of thousands of years.
Since Ellen White's day secular science has concluded that most of
the life-bearing rocks in the earth are nearly 570 million years old (for
some organisms, even older). The real battle is between those who
argue for a recent Creation of only a few thousand years and those who
argue that life (and death) has existed on the earth for millions of years.
How does a belief in a short history of the earth help you trust God?
43
Friday
July 30
FURTHER STUDY: Look up the following passages: Rev. 6:10;
21:3-5; Rom. 8:22-27. What do these texts tell us about God's concern
for humanity's suffering?
"Noah, the faithful preacher of righteousness, lived for three hun-
dred and fifty years after the flood, Shem for five hundred years, and
thus their descendants had an opportunity to become acquainted with
the requirements of God and the history of His dealings with their
fathers. But they were unwilling to listen to these unpalatable truths;
they had no desire to retain God in their knowledge; and by the confu-
sion of tongues they were, in a great measure, shut out from intercourse
with those who might have given them
light."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
p. 120.
One reason many people have suggested that there are gaps in the
genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 is that because in his recounting of the
genealogy of the post-Flood patriarchs, Luke includes an additional
name, Cainan, after Arphaxad (Luke 3:35, 36; Gen. 11:10-26). This
Cainan's name is included in the LXX (Greek Septuagint) version of
Genesis 11 but not in the Masoretic (Hebrew) text. Scholars have long
debated which version is correct. If there were originally an additional
Cainan in the Hebrew version, the omission of his name was more likely
the result of a later scribe's error rather than an attempt at abbreviating
this genealogy. (See
Selected Messages, vol.
1, p. 16.)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
How important is it to know the exact year of Creation? What is
a kind and appropriate way to deal with disagreements on con-
troversial topics like this?
2.
Does the Bible always give us all of the details that a specialist
might like to have? Why, or why not?
3.
How does rejection of the literal six days of Creation affect
our view of the Sabbath and salvation?
SUMMARY:
While we cannot be dogmatic on the precise year when
Creation took place, all the available biblical information points toward
a recent creation of life on this planet, only a few thousand years ago.
God's love will not allow pain, suffering, and death to continue much
longer. He intends to redeem the earth and its inhabitants soon!
44
The Runaway
J. H. Zachary
Stephen grew up in a Christian home in Bangladesh. His par-
ents sent him to an Adventist school, where he could grow in his
knowledge of Christ. But Stephen took the spiritual environment
for granted and put off making a decision for Christ. After he
graduated he studied in a government school, where he soon
forgot the lessons he had learned in the Adventist school. He
eventually turned from God and married one of his classmates.
He borrowed money to start a business, but when his business
collapsed, he ran from his creditors, neglecting his family respon-
sibilities. As his life crumbled, Stephen remembered the peace he
had known in a Christian environment. He recalled the teachings
he had learned but never appreciated and the close walk with
Jesus he could have had.
While still in hiding, Stephen heard about Sathsumila (sath-
soo-ME-lah), an Adventist training center in Bangladesh. The
school trains lay volunteers to plant churches. Stephen enrolled in
some classes. He gave his life to God for service, and he deter-
mined to make amends for his past mistakes and to be a good
husband and father. He sent for his family in India.
Steven learned how to reach Hindus and Muslims with the
gospel, how to help people stop smoking, how to conduct small group
evangelism, and how to review the Adventist doctrines with them.
After he completed his studies, Stephen accepted a call to work in
two Muslim communities in Bangladesh. He makes friends with the
villagers, helping them in their gardens and teaching them ways to
improve their health. He has helped many villagers stop smoking.
Stephen has organized small groups for Bible study; currently 30
villagers worship with him in three small groups.
Thus far Stephen has led 11 people to the Lord. He hopes to
plant a church in each village before the year is over and to
construct a small clinic to help with the
medical needs of the villagers.
After years of running from God,
Stephen feels that finally he is where God
wants him to be.
Stephen Biswas (left). James H. Zachary
is international evangelism coordinator for
The Quiet Hour, located in Redlands,
California.
Produced by the General Conference 011ice of Mission Awareness
E-mail: gomission@compuserve.com
45
V
A Closer Look at the
Creation Story
\
,1
/
4
Sabbath Afternoon
Lesson 6
July 31—August 6
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Gen. 1:1-3:24.
MEMORY TEXT: "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the
host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended
His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day
from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the
seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all
His work which God had created and made" (Genesis 2:1-3,
NKJV).
KEY THOUGHT:
A close reading of Genesis 1 through 3 shows
that God, through Moses, has provided us with a reliable account of
human origins, the Fall, and the hope of restoration.
CHALLENGES TO UNDERSTANDING THE CREATION AC-
COUNT.
Here are some of the biggest Creation issues: Was there a gap
of time somewhere between the first two verses of Genesis 1? Was there
a gap between God's initial creation of the whole universe and His
creation of life on this planet? Or was the whole universe created only a
few thousand years ago? The Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy are quite
clear that life was created on this planet a few thousand years ago.
Another issue is the challenge that Genesis 2 offers a contradictory
account of the Creation from that of Genesis 1 and further assumes
that both chapters were written by two different people, neither of
whom was Moses. This challenge directly contradicts key statements
in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy about the divinely inspired author-
ship of this book by Moses.
46
Sunday
August 1
IN THE BEGINNING GOD . . . (Gen. 1:1, 2).
What relationship do you find between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2? Do
you think there was a time gap there? How would you write these
two
verses in your own words?
There has been considerable debate among scholars over how properly
to translate Genesis 1:1, 2 and what these verses mean. The King
James Version simply translates these first two verses as two independ-
ent sentences: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the
face of the deep."
Some individuals have suggested that these sentences actually say,
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the
earth
became
without form and void." What is implied in this ap-
proach is that life forms existed on the earth millions of years before
the appearance of humankind, suggesting that the first two verses of
Genesis portray a "double-creation." (This is sometimes called the
"ruin and restoration" theory.)
Supporters of this interpretation argue that verse 1 actually de-
scribes an
earlier
creation of
life
on earth, millions of years
before
the
Creation week presented later in chapter 1 and that verse 2 describes
the destruction of that earlier life (it "became" without form and void).
These Christians speculate that Satan was the ruler of this first cre-
ation, but because of his rebellion the earth "became" without form
and void. Verse 3 supposedly begins a second creation of our present
earth.
However, there are many problems that arise with this theory, not
least of which is substituting the word
became
for
was.
Hebrew
scholars are virtually unanimous that this is not a valid translation,
because it contradicts fundamental laws of Hebrew grammar. The best
translation remains the
"earth was
without form and void."
There is another interpretation, which argues that the first verse
should be translated:
"When
God began to create the heavens and the
earth, the earth was without form and void." The idea for this transla-
tion comes from comparing Genesis 1:1 with ancient Mesopotamian
creation stories, which typically began with "when." This view sug-
gests that before God began any creative activity with regard to this
earth, something was already here—albeit, without form and void!
Still the best reading is the simple, straightforward, "In the beginning
God created the heaven and the earth."
Compare and contrast the "ruin and restoration" theory with the
straightforward view that God simply created the heaven and the
earth. Why is the latter view the best way to interpret Genesis 1:1?
47
Monday
August 2
IN THE BEGINNING GOD . . . (Prov. 8:22-26, 30; Mic. 5:2; Job
38:4-11; Isa. 14:12-21; Ezek. 28:12-17; 1 John 3:8).
What hints can we find for God's creative activity in the uni-
verse before the creation of life on our planet? Prov. 8:22-26, 30;
Mic. 5:2; Job 38:5-10; Isa. 14:12-21; Ezek. 28:12-17; 1 John 3:8.
One wonders as to when the absolute beginning of the heavens and
the earth in Genesis 1:2, 3 did occur. What else was created before our
planet was created? A number of factors point to the existence of stars,
planets, and other beings
before
the creation of life on this earth. Let's
take a moment to explore some of these factors that are mentioned in
our Bibles:
1.
Proverbs 8:22-26, 30 appears to speak of a beginning prior to the
"In the beginning" of Genesis 1:1. "The Lord possessed me [wisdom]
in the beginning of his way, before His works of old."
2.
Micah 5:2, NKJV, describes a Ruler (Christ) whose goings forth
are "from of old, from everlasting" (see also Heb. 1:8).
3.
Job 38:4-11 indicates that the sons of God pre-existed the creation of
the earth since they were there to sing and shout for joy at the Creation.
4.
The Hebrew of Genesis 1:16 suggests that the sun and moon
received their appointments to govern the times and seasons "with" or
"in addition to" the stars; the implication is that the stars were already
there before Creation week, fulfilling their appointed tasks.
5.
God's throne, which is in heaven, has existed from eternity (Ps.
45:6; 93:2). Heaven is also the home of the angels, who appear to have
been created prior to the earth.
6.
According to 1 John 3:8, the devil sinned from the beginning;
this "beginning" of Lucifer's iniquity preceded the six-day Creation
(see Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28); by inference the creation of the angels
preceded the creation of life on this earth.
These verses, among others, tell us that God the Father, Christ the Son,
and the Holy Spirit ever existed from eternity. Heaven, the stars,
Lucifer, the angels, and perhaps other intelligent beings pre-existed the
creation of our planet.
"The Lord has given me a view of other worlds. . . . The inhabitants
of the place were of all sizes; they were noble, majestic, and lovely.
They bore the express image of
Jesus."—Early Writings,
pp. 39, 40.
The eternal God and the Creator of the vast universe chose
our planet Earth, "without form and void," to create life on it.
He also manifested His supreme love for our world by giving His
only Son to die for us. What does this tell us about His commit-
ment to us and to our planet?
48
Tuesday
August 3
OUR CREATOR: THE ALL-POWERFUL GOD, OUR PER-
SONAL FRIEND (Gen. 1 and 2; Matt. 19:4, 5; Mark 10:2-9).
What name is used for God in Genesis 1 and 2? How is God
portrayed in each chapter?
Bible scholars have long noted that in the Hebrew language, God is
addressed differently in chapters 1 and 2. In chapter 1 God is called
Elohim
(God) while in chapter 2 He is called
Yahweh
(Lord) or
Yahweh-Elohim
(Lord God). Moreover, in chapter 1 God is portrayed
as very powerful, orderly, and transcendent—He merely speaks, and
things come into existence! In chapter 2, on the other hand, we see
God down on His hands and knees, so to speak, gently forming man
out of clay with His own hands and breathing into the lifeless nostrils
the breath of life.
After reading the following comments, why do you think two
different names for God are used in Genesis 1 and 2?
An earlier generation of biblical critics thought that the use of two
different Hebrew names for God in chapters 1 and 2 was evidence that
different authors wrote these two chapters and that the chapters were
indeed two different, and in places, contradictory accounts of Cre-
ation. However, more recent scholars such as Egyptologist Kenneth
Kitchen have noted that the use of different names for the same God in
the same text was actually a common practice in Egyptian and
Mesopotamian texts.
Why, then, would different names have been used in the Genesis
account of Creation? Hebrew scholar Umberto Cassuto suggests that
the use of the two Hebrew names for God simply points out two
different aspects of God's character—Yahweh is the covenant name for
God, and Elohim emphasizes His universality as God of all the earth. To
put it another way, Yahweh describes who God is, and Elohim describes
what He is. Biblical scholar M. H. Segal argues that the different names
were used merely for the sake of variety. Whatever the purpose for the
different names, there is no question that a more detailed, personal, and
intimate picture of God is given in the second chapter.
Jesus implies that Moses wrote the book of Genesis (Matt. 19:4,
5; Mark 10:2-9). Also Mosaic authorship of Genesis was repeat-
edly endorsed by most New Testament writers (Rom. 4:17; Gal.
3:8; 4:30; Heb. 4:4; James 2:23). How does this affirm your confi-
dence in God's Word in Genesis?
49
Wednesday
August 4
WHAT
GOD DID NOT CREATE (Gen. 2:4, 5; 3:18).
What are the four things that God had not yet made when He
had finished creating the earth and heavens? Gen. 2:4, 5.
Some wonder as to why Genesis 1 indicates that plants and man
were created during the first week of Creation (Gen. 1:11, 12, 26, 27),
while chapter 2 seems to suggest that God did not get around to
making these until later (Gen. 2:4-6). According to Genesis 2:4-6 the
four things that God had not yet made were: (1) the shrub of the field;
(2) the plant of the field; (3) a man to till the soil; (4) and rain to water
the earth.
To what kinds of shrub and plant of the field are Genesis 2:5
and 3:18 alluding? Were they created before or after the Fall?
Study the following explanation and summarize it in your own
words.
Upon reading the text in English, one might think that the writer of
chapter 2 ignores the fact that these four things were already created
during the first week of Creation. However, in the Hebrew text it is
clear that the four things mentioned in chapter 2, as having "not yet"
been created, have nothing to do with the things created during the
first six days of Creation. The Hebrew words for the first two items,
the shrub of the field and the plant of the field, are not the same names
for the plants created on day three of Creation—vegetation, seed-
bearing plants, and seed-bearing fruit trees (Gen. 1:11, 12). Actually,
the Hebrew word translated "shrub" in Genesis 2:5
(siah)
is quite rare
in the Bible, occurring only in two other texts—in Genesis 21:15 and
Job 30:4, 7. The contexts of these latter two texts have persuaded
botanists who have studied the biblical flora that the
siah is
a desert
plant; that is, a spiny or thorny plant. The full expression
siah hassadheh
("shrub of the field," or better, "field thistle") occurs only in Genesis
2:5! Significantly, the first time thorns and thistles are explicitly
mentioned in the Bible is in the next chapter, in Genesis 3:18, where
they are introduced as a direct consequence of the Fall! What the
writer of Genesis 2 is actually doing is setting up the question Where
did thorny plants come from? They were not part of the "very good"
Creation that was completed after the six days of Creation; rather, they
came as a result of the Fall! For more details on this, see Further Study
in Friday's section.
What are the spiritual thorns and thistles in both your char-
acter and in those around you that hinder your spiritual growth?
How do you deal with them?
50
Thursday
August 5
A MAN THAT TILLS THE SOIL (Gen. 2:5, 7-25).
What does the expression "a man to till the ground" refer to?
When did the tilling of the soil occur? Gen. 2:5.
In Hebrew the adjectives that modify a word are very important. "A
man to till the ground" in Genesis 2:5 is not man who was created on
day six (Gen. 1:26, 27). Rather, it is a description of man that applies
only after the Fall when Adam would have to contend with the ground
(by tilling and irrigation) for his food (see Gen. 3:17). This new kind
of man is in harmony with the "shrub of the field" and "plant of the
field," which likewise make their appearance only after the Fall. Thus,
again, "a man to till the ground" did "not yet" exist in chapter 2,
because he would not become such a man until chapter 3, after the Fall.
Who provided the original cultivation and irrigation in Eden?
How was it done? Gen. 2:8-15.
It is interesting to note that in the Mesopotamian creation stories,
one of the blessings of the gods to the earthly kings was to provide
humans "who would work like cattle" and who would "irrigate" the
fields. The God of the Bible, however, did not create humans to
provide slave labor. Rather, He lovingly and thoughtfully planted the
garden Himself and provided for its irrigation! He then gave it to
Adam and Eve as a gift. A number of scholars have noted this impor-
tant difference between the Bible's account of Creation and the nonbiblical
accounts. They have concluded that the author of Genesis was clearly
offering a "polemic" of Creation; that is, an account that was deliber-
ately designed to challenge the erroneous views about Creation that
were then in circulation, with a correct account.
The work God gave our first parents to do in the garden of Eden was
to "tend and keep it" (Gen. 2:15, NKJV). This is not the same kind of
work that Adam would have to endure after the Fall "by the sweat
of . . . [his] brow" (Gen. 3:19, NIV). "Their occupation was not wearisome,
but pleasant and
invigorating."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 50.
There is a more specific recapitulation of the Creation account in
chapter 2, but it begins with verse 7 instead of verse 4. The picture
given in these verses is indeed one of a loving God providing every-
thing Adam would need in his new existence, including a place to live,
plenty to eat and drink, dominion over his dwelling, and a loving
companion and wife, Eve.
In what ways do you find your work a blessing?
51
Friday
August 6
FURTHER STUDY:
Read Romans 4:17; Galatians 3:8; Hebrews
4:4; James 2:23. What do these texts suggest about the authorship of
Genesis? Read
Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 251.
Like the "shrub of the field," the Hebrew expression translated as
"plant of the field,"
'esev hassadhe,
is very rare in Scripture. Indeed, it
appears only twice—in Genesis 2:5 and 3:18. The key to understand-
ing the nature of this plant is found in Genesis 3:17, 18 (NIV), where
we are told that the
'esev hassadhe
is the very plant that Adam will
have to eat as a result of his Fall! "Cursed is the ground because of
you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It
will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of
the field" [
'esev hassadhe].
These plants are not the fruit-bearing trees
that God provided for man's food on day three. Rather, they are the
plants humans will have to cultivate after the Fall.
When did the absolute beginning of the heavens and the earth in
Genesis 1:1 occur? By this we are not referring to just the life on this
earth, which Genesis 1:3-2:4 is clearly talking about, but the entire
universe. Creationists generally have been of two opinions on this:
First, the "no gap" idea. The possibility that all things in the entire
universe, including the stars and the "raw materials" of Genesis 1:1, 2
that went into the making of this earth, are included in the first day of
the seven-day Creation week.
Second, the "passive gap" idea. The possibility that the stars and
perhaps even the "raw materials" of the heavens and the earth in their
unformed, unfilled state were created by God long before the seven
days of Creation week.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
Can you think of examples of initially telling a broad out-
line of a story and then going over it again in more detail?
When and/or why would you do this?
2.
How does the description of God's forming Adam with His
own hands out of clay and breathing into him the breath of
life (Gen. 2:7) affect your picture of God?
SUMMARY:
While we cannot be certain exactly when God began
creating the universe, yet Scripture says that He was there in the
beginning. Genesis 1 and 2 provides us with a unified and comple-
mentary account of God's Creation activity, showing especially His
love in the way He provided for humankind.
52
411
11
11116.
The Unseen Listeners
Bert Smit
Imagine ministering to millions of people every day, people you
cannot see and may never know. Imagine trying to meet their spiritual
needs and lead them gently to Jesus. This is the work of Adventist
World Radio every day.
The success of AWR's efforts to reach specific language and
people groups must be gauged by the mail it receives. Letters from
some countries bring a special joy, especially as the staff considers the
danger which the writers face just to mail their letters.
AWR broadcasts into countries where no missionary can go. Pro-
grams in Farsi, a language spoken in several Middle East countries, are
broadcast 11 hours a week on short- and medium-wave. Letters from
listeners reveal their enthusiasm and gratitude for the programs. Here are
some extracts from their letters to AWR. To protect the listeners, we
cannot reveal the country from which the letters were mailed.
Darius writes, "Today marks the tenth day that I came upon your
radio programs. I have become so attached to the programs that even
in the most difficult circumstances I try to arrange my schedule so that
I can listen. I pray to God, asking that He arrange my time so that I can
listen to your programs without interruption. I also pray that God will
grant me success in my attempt to become better acquainted with you.
"Despite my best efforts, I have found it impossible to obtain a
copy of the Old Testament in [my country]. Could you send me a
copy—in Farsi preferably, or in English—so that you could guide this
lost soul and seeker of truth?"
Another writes, " 'One of my friends told me about your programs,
and from that time on I became your number-one fan. I would like to
offer my thanks for all those who, with great effort, prepare such
interesting and varied programs.' "
"I am 17 years old and am a regular listener. Your program is one
of the most beneficial in the world. At nights when your programs
speak about prayer and God and good, pure thoughts, when you speak
of the Holy Bible, I feel a transformation taking place in my soul. I
express my praise and thanks for the efforts you put forth to make
these programs possible.' Signed, Manochehr."
These letters clearly testify that the Farsi programming presented
on Adventist World Radio is making a real impact in the lives of the
listeners, especially in areas where missionaries cannot go.
Bert Smit is from the Netherlands. He is regional director for Adventist
World Radio in Europe.
Produced by the General Conti:rence Office of Mission Awareness
E-mail: gomission@compuserve.com
53
LOOKING FOR
q1111
pA GREAT
NVEST-
MENT?
"Command those who are rich
in this present world . . .
to be generous and willing to share.
In this way they will lay up
treasure for themselves as a firm
foundation for the coming age, so
that they may take hold of the
life that is truly life."
I Timothy 6:17-19 NIV
Remember the Sabbath School
Mission Offering!
54
LIGHT
FOR A
DARK
WORLD
Who was
Ellen White
really?
Prophetess? Visionary? Fearless defender of the Advent faith?
Yes. She was all these things. But what about Ellen White the
woman, the wife, the mother, the traveler?
In
Ellen White: Friend of Angels,
author and historian Paul
Ricchiuti presents Ellen White as a real human being—one who
got sick, had pain, cried, laughed, had close
friends and bitter enemies. Yet
she was loving, kind, thoughtful
and dedicated to her work. Instead
of concentrating on what Ellen
White
did,
Ricchiuti seeks to show
us who she was. Drawing from lit-
tle-known stories about her adven-
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Lesson 7
August 7-13
Paradise Lost: The Fall's
Impact on Creation
Sabbath Afternoon
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Gen. 3:14-19; Rom. 5:12-14;
6:23; 8:18-20.
MEMORY TEXT: "For we know that the whole creation groans
and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that,
but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we
ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adop-
tion, the redemption of our body" (Romans 8:22, 23, NKJV).
KEY THOUGHT:
The fall of Adam and Eve did not simply affect
humanity but the entire created order of this planet.
THE FALL OF CREATION:
The fossil record refers to the
remains of plants and animals in the rocks deep beneath our feet. The
conventional explanation by evolutionary scientists is that these fos-
sils represent the evolution of all life forms from simple to complex
throughout a period covering hundreds of millions of years. The
theory of evolution contradicts the biblical evidence of God's Word
for both a recent Creation and a literal six-day Creation.
Some, under the influence of the theory of evolution, have sug-
gested that perhaps death—the consequence of the Fall according to
both Genesis 3:19 and Romans 5:12-14--only pertained to humans
and that plants and animals may have lived and died for millions of
years before humans were even created. This week we will take a look at
both the biblical and Spirit of Prophecy evidence for the impact the Fall
and sin had on the creation.
56
Sunday
August 8
ALIENATION FROM THE EARTH (Gen. 3:14-19).
What was the initial impact of the Fall on nature? Gen. 3:14-19.
The account in Genesis, chapter 3, does not provide much informa-
tion on the precise nature of the curses that took effect after the Fall.
We know that the serpent was cursed, the woman would experience
pain in child-bearing, and the ground was cursed and would bring forth
thorns and thistles. Of these three curses, the first two are rather
specific, pertaining to the serpent and the woman. Let us now look at
the implications of the third curse.
What impact did Adam's disobedience have on the earth? What did
it mean for the earth to be cursed? Gen. 3:17.
It is not just a coincidence that the name for earth (ground) and the
proper name for the first man are essentially the same word in Hebrew
('adamah
and
'adam).
The word
earth
plays a special role in the
Hebrew account of Creation, and it is hard to overestimate its impor-
tance. In that account God used the earth as the source from which He
made every aspect of the natural world. For example, the earth brings
forth the streams to water its surface, man was made from dust of the
earth, every kind of tree that was good for food emerges from the earth,
and the beasts of the field are formed from the elements of the earth. In
essence, all life and those things essential to the support of life emerge
from the earth. The relationship between humans and the earth is, thus,
very intimate. The Fall resulted in a disruption of this created order, the
intimate relationship between humankind and the earth.
Rather than being mutually supportive, the earth and man are now at
odds with each other (Gen. 3:17). The earth no longer willingly yields
good trees from which to eat (1:12, 29). Indeed, it now produces thorns
and thistles, and man must struggle with it by the sweat of his brow
(3:18, 19). In essence, man now became a slave to the earth he was
created to dominate (1:28). The animals that the earth provided (1:24)
would soon be in rebellion against man's dominion (6:11-13; 9:5, 6). The
earth from which God formed man would ultimately receive him in
death (3:19). The Fall, then, is a complete reversal of the natural created
order.
As you observe the deterioration of humanity and the envi-
ronment all around you, what can you do as a Christian to be a
faithful witness and a responsible steward?
57
Monday
August 9
LIVING APART FROM GOD (Gen. 2:17; 3:19, 22; 4:8, 23, 24; 6:3,
5, 11, 12; 1 Cor. 15:26, 50-55; Rev. 21:4).
What impact did the Fall have on humans? Gen. 2:17; 3:19,22; 4:8,
23, 24;
6:3, 5,
11,
12.
They "would have the knowledge of evil—all the days of their life.
From that time the race would be afflicted by Satan's temptations.
Instead of the happy labor heretofore appointed them, anxiety and toil
were to be their lot. They would be subject to disappointment, grief, and
pain, and finally to
death."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 59.
"Crime would increase through successive generations, and the
curse of sin would rest more and more heavily upon the human race,
upon the beasts, and upon the earth. The days of man would be
shortened by his own course of sin; he would deteriorate in physical
stature and endurance and in moral and intellectual power, until the
world would be filled with misery of every
type."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
p. 68.
How did humankind begin to deteriorate after the Fall, and what was
the cause of this deterioration? Gen. 3:22.
"In order to possess an endless existence, man must continue to
partake of the tree of life. Deprived of this, his vitality would . . . diminish
until life should become
extinct."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 60.
How will the nature of human life be restored in the new earth?
1 Cor. 15:50-55.
Perhaps it is difficult for some to conceive that the current biological
order and ecological balance we see in nature today will be any
different in the new earth. Since death and decay are part of the current
life cycle, it seems easy for them to assume that it will be the same in the
future. But the Bible describes a different biological reality for the
future: "I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperish-
able. . . . For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable,
and the mortal with immortality" (1 Cor. 15:50-53, NIV).
1 Corinthians 15:26 and Revelation 21:4 assure us that death
will finally be destroyed. How does it make you feel to know that
death will be eradicated forever?
58
Tuesday
August 10
NATURE MARRED (Gen. 6:11, 12; Rom. 8:19-22).
How did the Fall affect the earth? Gen. 6:11, 12.
The expression
earth
may include all the things that were derived
from it, including the animal kingdom (Gen. 1:24; 2:19). After the Fall the
earth began to increase in violence until God felt it was necessary to
destroy it (Gen. 6:11, 12). Ellen White describes this process quite
vividly: "When God made man, He made him ruler over the earth and all
living creatures. So long as Adam remained loyal to Heaven, all nature
was in subjection to Him. But when he rebelled against the divine law,
the inferior creatures were in rebellion against his
rule."—Conflict and
Courage,
p. 18.
It is interesting that the main reason God brought on the Flood is seen
in the fact that the earth was corrupt and "full of violence." The Hebrew
word for violence
(hamas)
implies the idea of the shedding of blood.
Apparently one component of this violence was the killing done by animals.
This had been such a problem that God felt compelled to issue a couple of
commands: First was to put the fear of humans into the animals (Gen. 9:2);
and second was to initiate a special law invoking capital punishment for
those animals that shed the blood of humans (Gen. 9:5, 6).
How does Paul describe the impact the Fall
had on nature? Rom.
8:19-22.
The effects of sin on the world went well beyond the objects that
were specifically cursed in Genesis 3. The
entire
creation was affected
by the Fall. As a direct result, our first parents "witnessed in drooping
flower and falling leaf the first signs of decay, Adam and his compan-
ion mourned more deeply than men now mourn over their dead. The
death of the frail, delicate flowers was indeed a cause of sorrow; but
when the goodly trees cast off their leaves, the scene brought vividly to
mind the stem fact that death is the portion of every living thing."
—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 62.
How one defines "plant death" might be debated philosophically,
but there is no doubt that the Bible teaches that a drastic transformation
occurred during the original Fall that affected the earth and all that is
derived from it.
Life in the new earth will again be different from what we see
today. Reflect on this: "I saw another field full of all kinds of
flowers, and as I plucked them, I cried out, 'They will never
fade.'
"—Early Writings,
p. 18.
59
Wednesday
August 11
OTHER CHANGES IN NATURE (Gen. 1:11, 12, 21-25).
What does Genesis 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25 tell us about the plant and
animal kingdoms as they emerged from the Creator?
One of the basic tenets of the general theory of evolution is that all
life forms on the earth evolved from common ancestors, which lived
hundreds of millions of years ago. This long, gradual process can
supposedly be traced in the fossil record. The biblical account, on the
other hand, argues that all life forms were created by God's spoken
word during the six days of the Creation week. Have new kinds of life
emerged since the original biblical Creation? A related and intriguing
question is Where did animals like the dinosaurs come from? Did they
evolve as evolutionists say? Did God make them, or did they come
into existence since the original Creation?
What does the expression plants and animals reproducing "after
their kinds" really mean? Gen. 1:11, 12, 21-25.
The expression often translated "after their kinds" can be under-
stood to mean that the life forms God created were to reproduce "their
various kinds." This expression can suggest the multiplication of vari-
ety of their kinds within their order rather than the idea that each parent
would produce offspring that looked exactly like them. This suggests
that God built into the original creatures the potential for variety. We
see this variety in the families of organisms that populate the earth
today. God is the author of genetics. Many scientists who are creation-
ists believe that a substantial amount of change has occurred in many
animals as a result of the Fall.
But what about the dinosaurs? Where did they come from? The
Bible is silent on that (although some have thought, incorrectly, that
the leviathan or behemoth might refer to dinosaurs, Job 41:1, 15).
Ellen White was certainly aware of them, however, and made a few
comments about them such as "I was shown that very large, powerful
animals existed before the flood which do not now exist." She does
not say much more about them except to add that "the time of their
existence, and how long a period these things have been in the earth,
are only to be understood by Bible
history."—Spiritual Gifts,
vol. 3,
pp. 92, 93. Scientists who believe in a recent Creation have tended to
suggest that God may have made some original dinosaur types, but,
along with the rest of the animal kingdom, many of them became
violent and were consequently destroyed in the Flood. That is why we
find their fossils in the earth.
60
Thursday
August 12
NATURE RESTORED (Isa. 11; 65:17; Ps. 37:29; Rev. 21:1-3; Phil.
3:20, 21).
How will nature be transformed in the new earth? Isa. 11; 65:17.
"There the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living
waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and the leaves of the
tree are for the service of the nations. There are ever-flowing streams,
clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon
the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the wide-
spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God
rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living
streams, God's people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a
home."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 675.
How will nature be restored to humanity? Ps. 37:29; Rev. 21:1-3.
"The earth originally given to man as his kingdom, betrayed by him
into the hands of Satan, and so long held by the mighty foe, has been
brought back by the great plan of redemption. All that was lost by sin has
been restored. . . . God's original purpose in the creation of the earth is
fulfilled as it is made the eternal abode of the redeemed. 'The right-
eous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.' Ps. 37:29."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 674.
What effect will the restoration have on us according to Philippians
3:20, 21?
"In the beginning, man was created in the likeness of God, not only
in character, but in form and feature. Sin defaced and almost obliterated
the divine image; but Christ came to restore that which had been
lost. . . . The mortal, corruptible form, devoid of comeliness, once
polluted with sin, becomes perfect, beautiful, and immortal. All blem-
ishes and deformities are left in the grave. Restored to the tree of life
in the long-lost Eden, the redeemed will 'grow up' (Malachi 4:2) to
the full stature of the race in its primeval glory. . . . Christ's faithful
ones will appear in 'the beauty of the Lord our God,' in mind and soul
and body reflecting the perfect image of their Lord."—The
Great
Controversy,
pp. 644, 645.
How would you use promises such as Philippians 3:21 and
Revelation 21:4 to encourage a terminally-ill friend?
61
Friday
August 13
FURTHER STUDY:
Read chapter 42 in
The Great Controversy,
pp.
674-678, for a description of the new earth. Note Ellen White's state-
ment on pages 674, 675: "A fear of making the future inheritance
seem too material has led many to spiritualize away the very truths
which lead us to look upon it as our home." How seriously should we
take the Bible's description of our new home?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
By the time just prior to the Flood, we read that the earth had
become "corrupt" and was "full of violence." What was the
reason for that? What is the connection between humanity's
corruption and earth's corruption?
2.
What do you imagine a "perfect" world to be like? What are the
things about our present world that you believe are the result of
sin and will be different in the new earth? How does studying
what Eden was like help us understand the new earth better?
3.
Will our existence in the new earth be a real, physical exist-
ence? If so, how will our physical existence in the new life
compare to our present existence? How will it be different?
4.
In what ways can the wonderful truths about our future inher-
itance be spiritualized away? Compare or contrast your answer
with "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the
heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who
love Him" (1 Cor. 2:9, NKJV).
5.
"All come forth from their graves the same in stature as when
they entered the tomb."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 644. What
do you understand this statement to mean?
SUMMARY:
The Fall created alienation, not just between humanity
and God but between humanity and the rest of the creation. The earth
and all the life forms that were derived from it are in rebellion and have
been affected by sin. Only through Jesus Christ will both humanity and
the rest of creation be restored to its Edenic state.
62
rook
For His Honor
Charles Reid
I grew up in an active Christian home. Both of my parents are
teachers; my father teaches music, my mother teaches reading. Music
was a part of our family, but I didn't start singing publicly until I was
a senior in high school. Music became more and more of a joy to me,
and I eventually decided to study opera.
While singing at a music festival, I met Julie Karpenko, a member
of the chorus. As we talked, I noticed she was deeply spiritual. We
spent many hours sharing our mutual interest of music and becoming
friends. I learned that she was a Seventh-day Adventist. I had heard
of Adventists, but did not know much of what they believe.
I was convinced that I was following God's truths, but how could
we both be right and believe so differently? As I studied my Bible
and listened to some super sermons, I kept hearing some things that
did not square with my beliefs. I searched my Bible to verify my
beliefs and was shocked to discover that the Bible upheld Adventist
teachings, especially regarding the Sabbath and prophecy.
Then Julie told me about satellite evangelistic meetings in my
area. I found a church that was presenting the programs and attended
nearly every meeting. I found answers to several big questions. I saw
that there is no reasonable explanation for Sunday worship, but the
Bible contains ample support for the Sabbath. I realized that the
Adventist church has a more truthful understanding of the Bible as a
whole. And as a Christian, I felt it was my privilege and duty to join
the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Since then Julie Karpenko and I have been married. We have
completed our studies and enjoy singing together for God's glory.
We look forward to seeing what God has in store for us in the field of
music, for which we have trained.
Two years ago I had never heard of Seventh-day Adventists. I've
seen how God has led in my life, how He has
opened doors that I dared not dream of. He has
set me in new places at every turn, and these
places have always been better than I could
have imagined. Therefore, I have stopped try-
ing to plan for myself or even guess where God
will take me. All I know is that the talents He
has given to me I gladly give back to Him, to be
used for His honor where ever He sees fit.
Charles and Julie Reid live in Princeton, New Jersey. They continue to
sing together for God's glory.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness
E-mail: gomissiongcompuserve.com
63
Lesson 8
August 14-20
Was There Death Before
Sin?
Sabbath Afternoon
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Gen. 1:20-28; 3:1-24; 6:11-13;
7:21-23; Rom. 5:12-14; 6:23; 8:18-22.
MEMORY TEXT: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23, NKJV).
KEY THOUGHT:
Death first entered this planet as a direct result of
Adam's and Eve's fall. It not only affected humans but animals,
plants, and all of creation. God's plan of redemption includes both
humanity and the entire creation.
WHAT DO THESE FOSSILS MEAN?
One of the current chal-
lenges facing those who believe in a recent Creation is the evidence
marshaled by secular geologists that life has been on this planet for
millions of years before the first appearance of humans. It is true that
human fossils only appear near the top of the geologic column (that layer
of fossil bearing rocks that covers the surface of the earth), while plants
and animals of many different types appear in the rocks deeper down. If
one accepts the dating of these rocks, it appears that complex life forms
seem to have existed before humans for hundreds of millions of years.
The implication of this is that death existed before humans, meaning that
man's fall was not the event that really brought death.
Some have tried to get around this challenge by suggesting that it
does not matter whether lower plant and animal life forms existed and
died before humans. In this lesson we will explore these issues in the
light of biblical evidence.
64
Sunday
August 15
DO ANIMALS MATTER? (Gen. 9:8-17; Matt. 6:25, 26; Luke
12:22-24).
What does Genesis 9:8-17 tell you about God's care for the animals
and the rest of His creation?
There are a number of indications of how important God's creatures
were to Him when He first created them. He desired them to be fruitful
and multiply; He provided for their food and care; He placed them under
man's protection; and, most important, He pronounced what He had
made as "very good." It is interesting that after the Fall God did not
directly curse the animals (the snake was an exception), although they
would suffer as a consequence of Adam's fall. And after the Flood, God
included them in the covenant He made with humankind (Gen. 9:8-10).
How important was the animal kingdom to Jesus? Matt. 6:25, 26;
Luke 12:22-24.
We often cite Matthew 6:25,26 and Luke 12:22-24 as evidence of the
question of God's love. If He cares for a lowly sparrow or raven, then
surely He cares for us! Yet, it is easy to forget that the Creator in the
New Testament is the same Creator in the Old Testament. Ellen White
reminds us that "The Saviour was the One who had instructed the
Hebrews in the wilderness . . ." and that the "merciful provisions of the
law" that Jesus gave "extended even to the lower animals, which
cannot express in words their want and suffering."—The
Desire of
Ages,
p. 500.
The Bible teaches that the suffering and decay experienced by the
animal kingdom were directly linked to the fall of humankind. Yet
some suggest that the fossil record reflects nearly 600 million years of
animal suffering prior to the creation of humankind. One of the more
vexing problems we face is the problem of pain in the animal world,
especially if one believes that the animal kingdom existed for millions
of years before humans.
The Bible indicates (Rom. 8:18-22) that animal suffering was directly
linked to the fall of humankind. To suggest that animals lived and died
for millions of years prior to Creation and the fall of Adam and Eve
not only contradicts Romans 8 but also runs counter to the fact that
Jesus is a compassionate Creator and Savior.
Considering that animals suffer because of the fall of our first
parents, how can we show more compassion to them?
65
Monday
August 16
ANIMAL KINGDOM'S FATE TIED TO ADAM (Gen. 1:28;
2:19, 20).
What was Adam's role in relationship to the animals? Gen. 1:28;
2:19, 20.
The Bible portrays an intimate, close relationship between Adam
and the animals. He is told to "rule" over them and then to name them.
What is the point of all this?
By placing Adam in charge of the animals, God hoped to convey to
him and Eve and their descendants some important lessons. First, it
gave a sense of appreciation for their own relationship to God. By
caring for the animals, our first parents experienced the joy they
brought God and also an appreciation for His love for them.
Second, it taught them the lessons of responsibility, inter-
dependence, and service. These concepts are beautifully expressed in
the following statement: "All things both in heaven and in earth
declare that the great law of life is a law of service. . . . The same law
of service is written upon all things in nature. The birds of the air, the
beasts of the field, the trees of the forest, the leaves, the grass, and the
flowers, the sun in the heavens and the stars of light—all have their
ministry. Lake and ocean, river and water spring—each takes to give.
. . . 'Give, and it shall be given unto you is . . . written no less surely
in nature than in the pages of Holy
Writ."—Education,
p. 103.
This interdependence and law of service is integral to God's entire
creation, including both the plant and animal kingdoms. In the case of
the animals, they needed humankind's care and love. Humans, in turn,
would see that the animals provided many things for them as well, not
the least of which is love. In essence, God created humans and animals
in what might be called a "symbiotic" relationship—they needed each
other—each had its role to play in God's created hierarchy. Note that
both humans and animals share the breath of God.
This created interdependence is one reason why the supposition
that animals preceded humankind by millions of years does not fit a
biblical perspective. A major purpose for creating lower life forms was
to fill out the hierarchy of interdependence that would work within
God's "law of service." The key to this hierarchy is the humans, who
were responsible for the lower creation.
Jesus said, "Give, and it shall be given unto you" (Luke 6:38).
How have you experienced this dynamic truth in your relation-
ships with others? How did you receive the greatest blessing in
the act of giving? As the recipient or as the "donor," the one who
was doing the giving?
66
Tuesday
August 17
NATURE BEFORE AND AFTER THE FALL (Gen. 1:30; 9:3-6;
Isa. 11:6-9; 65:25).
What indication do you find that there was no death in the
animal kingdom before the Fall? What about meat-eating ani-
mals? Gen. 1:30; 9:3-6; Isa. 11:7; 65:25.
Biblical evidence suggests that there were no flesh-eating animals
before the Fall. According to Genesis 1:30, the original diet of all animal
life was "every green plant." As Ellen White says, "One animal was not
to destroy another animal for
food."—Counsels on Diet and Foods,
p.
396.
From our present understanding of meat-eating animals, it seems
that it was not possible for them to live on a vegetarian diet. Carnivores
(meat-eaters) are an essential part of the "food-chain" in our ecosystem.
Scavengers are nature's garbage disposal system—they help clean up
the dead carcasses. However, the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy are
quite specific that it was not this way in the beginning. This would
suggest that major changes occurred in the plant and animal king-
doms—changes beyond our current understanding.
How does the Bible describe the nature of the animal kingdom in a
sinless world? Isa. 11:6-9; 65:25.
One way of understanding what nature was like before the Fall is to
study the Bible's description of the new earth. The Bible makes it clear
that death was an unintended and unwelcome intruder in our world
and that it will have no part in the earth to come (Isa. 11:6-9; Rev.
21:4). This mystery is as unfathomable as the one that assures us that
our mortal flesh shall put on immortality (1 Cor. 15:50-55). Somehow,
the very nature of life on this planet will be transformed! This biblical
view, however, contradicts current understanding of the laws of ecol-
ogy. Modern ecology tells us that death is an essential part of life in
our present world. In fact, most biologists find it difficult to under-
stand how it could be possible to have life without death, since to them
death is so essential to the current cycle of life. But the transformation
at the Second Coming will not only include humanity but also the
entire creation (Rom. 8:19-21). The creation itself is waiting for the
sons of God to be revealed so that it, too, will be liberated from its
bondage of decay!
How does it make you feel to know that death, the unintended
and unwelcome intruder, will be destroyed forever!
67
Wednesday
August 18
TRANSFORMATION OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM (Gen. 6:11,
12; 9:2).
How did the Fall affect the "law of service" and interdependence?
Gen. 6:12; 9:2.
"Under the curse of sin all nature was to witness to man of the
character and results of rebellion against God. When God made man
He made him ruler over the earth and all living creatures. So long as
Adam remained loyal to Heaven, all nature was in subjection to him.
But when he rebelled against the divine law, the inferior creatures
were in rebellion against his
rule."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 59.
"It is because of man's sin that 'the whole creation groaneth and
travaileth in pain together.' Romans 8:22. Suffering and death were
thus entailed, not only upon the human race, but upon the animals."
—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 443.
Adam's relationship to the animals was not too different from that
of a king to his people. In a sense, the animals were Adam's "sub-
jects." There is a lesson that runs throughout the Bible, especially
throughout the books of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, that when kings, or
other leaders, are righteous, their people tend to follow them in righ-
teousness. However, when the leaders are wicked, the people follow
them in wickedness.
What hint do we find in Genesis 6:11 that humanity's rebellion
adversely affected the animal kingdom?
It
.
is significant that the Bible points out that the earth became full of
violence because the people on earth had corrupted their ways. In
short, the rebellion of humanity spread into the entire creation as noted
in the comment of Ellen White above. A hint of that change is found in
Genesis 6:11, which tells us that, owing to humanity's wickedness, the
earth had become "corrupt" and "full of violence." It is often assumed
that this violence refers to wicked human deeds. Ellen White adds the
following insights about the wickedness of pre-Flood humanity and its
influence on the animal kingdom: "They [humans] loved to destroy
the lives of animals. They used them for food, and this increased their
ferocity and violence, and caused them to look upon the blood of
human beings with astonishing indifference."—Spiritual
Gifts,
vol. 3,
pp. 63,64.
In what positive or negative ways have some leaders influenced
your life? In what ways does your example influence others around you?
68
Thursday
August 19
DEATH IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM—BEFORE SIN? (Gen.
1:
1-31; 2:17; 3:2-4; Rom. 5:12, 14; 1 Cor. 15:21).
What indication is there that animals did not
exist for millions of
years before Adam and Eve? Gen. 1:1-31.
As we noted in an earlier lesson, the Bible knows nothing of a
creation in this world earlier than that of Genesis 1. The best reading of
the Hebrew in that chapter does not allow it. The only Creation dealing
with this planet is that recorded in Genesis 1. According to the account
given there, plants preceded the creation of humans by three days
(Gen. 1:11, 12), while birds and animals were created on the fifth and
sixth days (Gen. 1:20-25). There is no evidence in the Bible to support
the idea that for millions of years before the Fall dinosaurs lived and
died. Such theory would challenge God's Word and misrepresent His
character regarding the relationship between His creation and sin,
suffering, and death.
It would seem strange that our loving God and Creator would sup-
posedly allow 600 million years of animal suffering, which some Chris-
tians, without proof, propose took place prior to the creation of human-
kind. The explanation the Bible provides about animal suffering is that
found in Romans 8:12-22. Creation was subjected to the "bondage of
decay" as Romans 8:21 implies.
What does the Bible say about the origin of death? Gen. 2:17; 3:2-4;
Rom. 5:12, 14; 1 Cor. 15:21.
Evolutionists have long recognized the implications their theory has
for the biblical account of Creation. As early as 1840, geologist
Edward Hitchcock wrote, "The general interpretation of the Bible has
been, that until the fall of man, death did not exist in the world even
among the inferior animals. For the Bible asserts that by man came
death (1 Cor. 15:21) and by one man sin entered into the world and
death by sin (Rom. 5:12). But geology teaches us that myriads of
animals lived and died before the creation of
man."—Elementary
Geology
(Amherst, Mass.: J. S. and C. Adam, 1840), p. 273. Clearly,
as Hitchcock recognized, this particular scientific interpretation of
geology and the Bible account of origins are in conflict.
Suffering and death are connected with the fall of our first
parents, and did not take place before. What does this fact tell
you about the character of God and the reliability of His Word?
69
Friday
August 20
FURTHER STUDY:
Review chapters 3 through 7 in
Patriarchs and
Prophets,
where the story of the Fall, the plan of redemption, and the
Flood are discussed. Reflect especially on the following passage:
"The sacrificial offerings were ordained by God to be to man a
perpetual reminder and a penitential acknowledgment of his sin and a
confession of his faith in the promised Redeemer. They were intended
to impress upon the fallen race the solemn truth that it was sin that
caused death. To Adam, the offering of the first sacrifice was a most
painful ceremony. His hand must be raised to take life, which only God
could give. It was the first time he had ever witnessed death, and he
knew that had he been obedient to God, there would have been no
death of man or
beast."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 68.
Ellen White explicitly denied that the animals found buried in the
fossil record represented the existence of animal life for millions of years
prior to the Creation week of the Bible. Rather, the origin of these animal
remains was to be understood as the result of the biblical Flood.
Remains of men, animals, and plants in the earth, i.e., fossils, "are
regarded as proving the existence of vegetable and animal life
prior
to
the time of the Mosaic record. But concerning these things Bible his-
tory furnishes ample explanation. . . . At the Flood the surface of the
earth was broken up, marked changes took place, and in the re-
formation of the earth's crust were preserved many evidences of the
life previously
existing."—Education,
p. 129.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
Are the pains and sufferings of lower life forms a moral issue?
How does it reflect on the character of God? Should God be
concerned? Do you think He is concerned?
2.
Since the age of the earth and the fossils are such controver-
sial subjects in some quarters, what is the best way to
handle them? What would Jesus do?
SUMMARY:
According to the Bible, all life was created by God. Death
did not exist in the creation until after the Fall. As a result, the entire
creation is subject to death, including the animal kingdom. The creation
will be redeemed from its bondage of decay at the same time as the
children of God.
70
The Criminals' Church, Part 1
J. H. Zachary
Abel Ti's gang was well known in the community around Mt.
Hagen, in Papua New Guinea. They had terrorized the region so
much that the community nearly became a ghost town.
Finally the police caught Abel and sent him to prison. He was
assigned to work six days a week with Sundays off. But Abel noticed
that some prisoners did not work on Saturdays or Sundays. He
learned that they were Sabbath keepers. Abel was jealous and
decided to claim to be a Sabbath keeper so that he too could get
Saturdays off. It worked, and he wanted to use his free day to sleep,
but he feared that the guards might notice and send him back to work.
So he decided to attend the Sabbath worship services instead.
Then Abel escaped from prison. With two of his former gang
members, he fled into the jungle. The trio built a bush house for
themselves and dug a tunnel under their home as an escape route
should police find them.
While they worked, Abel did some serious thinking. One day he
told his friends, "We are not living right. We have hurt people; we
are always running from the law. We need to change our ways."
"What do you have in mind?" one of his friends asked.
"We should attend church. Let's go to the Protestant church in
the village this week," Abel answered.
"Nothing doing!" his friends quickly replied. "We have hurt too
many of the people in that village. If we show up in church, they
will call the police, and we will be arrested!"
Abel thought for a moment and then said, "We could build our
own church right here beside our house."
"What denomination will the church be?" one of the men asked.
"Seventh-day Adventist," Abel replied. "I went to their meet-
ings in prison." The three men began
gathering material to build their own
church. In a few days a lovely bush
chapel stood beside their home in the
jungles of Papua New Guinea.
(continued next week)
Abel Ti (left). J. H. Zachary is
international evangelism coordinator of
the Quiet Hour, located in Redlands,
California.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness
E-mail: gomission@compuserve.com
71
Lesson 9
August 21-27
Creation and the Flood
Sabbath Afternoon
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Gen. 6-9; Heb. 11:7; 2 Pet.
2:5; 3:3-6.
MEMORY TEXT: "For this they [scoffers] willfully forget: that by
the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out
of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed
perished, being flooded with water" (2 Peter 3:5, 6, NKJV).
KEY THOUGHT:
The Bible presents the Flood as both a histori-
cal event that destroyed the entire world and as a type for the world-
wide judgment at the Second Coming. As a historic event, it provides
an alternate explanation to the long ages argued for by secular science.
LOCAL OR WORLDWIDE FLOOD?
Why should a lesson on the
Flood be included in series of studies devoted to the Creation? From a
literary and thematic perspective, the Flood is closely linked to the
Creation story. Indeed, most Old Testament scholars recognize Gen-
esis 1-11 (the Creation-Flood-Babel stories) as a distinctive literary
unit. More important, however, is that for creationists who believe in a
literal, recent Creation, the Flood is the only event presented in the
Bible that is large and destructive enough to provide an alternate
explanation for the origin of the geologic column with its layers of
fossil-bearing rocks that cover the surface of the earth. In this lesson
we will want to look at the Bible to see: (1) whether the story of the
Flood was meant to be understood as historical and (2) whether the
author meant to depict it as a worldwide event.
72
Sunday
August 22
THE EXTENT OF THE FLOOD
(Gen. 7:2; 8:9; 6:17; 7:6).
What words does the author of Genesis use to describe the extent of
the Flood? (Gen. 7:2; 8:9).
While we accept the biblical record that Noah's flood covered the
entire earth, yet there are views that suggest that the Flood, in reality,
was only a local event. It is true that the Hebrew word for earth or land
(erets)
does not always refer to the entire globe. It can also have a
local, geographical, or political meaning, much as it can in English.
For example, we talk about the "land of Israel" and recognize that it is
a rather small area, geographically speaking. In other cases it can
mean the whole world, such as in the expression "heaven and earth,"
which appears numerous times in Genesis 1-11. The expression "all
the earth"
(kol ha 'arets)
similarly can have both local and worldwide
meanings. The key is the context.
There is, however, a unique phrase that occurs in the Flood story in
Genesis 7:2 and 8:9. These verses tell us that the waters of the Flood
covered "the face of the whole earth" (NKJV). Aside from the Flood,
this phrase is used only in the Creation story (Gen. 1:29) and the
Tower of Babel story (Gen. 11:4, 8, 9). The context of these two
stories is clearly universal. The use of the same phrase in the Flood
story would indicate that the author also intended a universal meaning
here.
After reading the following comment, what do you think is special
about the Hebrew word used in Genesis 6:17; 7:6 to designate Noah's
flood?
There is yet another fact that points to a worldwide flood; that is the
Hebrew word that the author chose to describe the Flood. While there
are several Hebrew words the author could have used to describe a
local flood
(sheteph, nachal, nahar, zaram),
he used a special, unique
word to distinguish the worldwide Flood,
mabbul.
As C. F. Keil and F.
Delitzsch, in their
Commentaries on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch,
point out,
mabbul "is
an archaic word, coined expressly for the waters
of Noah. . . ."—(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 19—), p. 143. It
was a term that the ancients understood as referring specifically to the
"floodgates" of heaven that held back the waters that fell from the sky.
Gerhard von Rad took the word
mabbul
to imply that "We must under-
stand the Flood, therefore, as a catastrophe involving the . . . destruc-
tion of the
entire cosmic system."—Genesis
(London: SCM Press,
1961), p. 128 (emphasis supplied).
73
Monday
August 23
THE UNIVERSAL NATURE OF THE FLOOD (Gen. 1-11; 6:5-7,
11-13; 1 Pet. 3:20).
Besides the biblical account of a worldwide flood, what other ac-
counts do you see in Genesis 1-11 that are universal in nature?
A central theme that runs throughout the first eleven chapters of
Genesis is their
universal
context. Indeed, a key point in the Creation
story is that God (as opposed to the false Mesopotamian gods) made
everything.
There is
nothing
on this earth that God did not make! This
universal theme runs to the other issues of these early chapters. Sin and
the Fall, for example, were
universal problems,
for all humans have
sinned and fallen, not just some! Moreover, the promise of salvation,
with the covenant that is offered, is offered to all people, not just some.
Genesis 11 describes the origins of all people. It is in the middle of these
universal themes that the story of the Flood appears. Clearly, it would
be inconsistent and inappropriate to extract the Flood story from the
rest of Genesis 1-11 and say that this has only a local meaning. The
Flood was a universal judgment to a universal problem of wickedness
that had spread throughout the earth.
Why did God send the Flood? Gen. 6:5-7,11-13.
As mentioned earlier, the Hebrew word for violence is
hamas
and
conveys the sense of violence that leads to the shedding of blood and
loss of life. The text conveys the sense that this was a worldwide
problem, for the earth was filled with violence. In
Patriarchs and
Prophets,
p. 92, we learn that "after the Fall, men chose to follow their
own sinful desires; and as the result, crime and wretchedness rapidly
increased. Neither the marriage relation nor the rights of property were
respected. Whoever coveted the wives or the possessions of his neigh-
bor, took them by force, and men exulted in their deeds of violence."
How widespread was human wickedness? Gen. 6:12; 1 Pet. 3:20.
Think it through: The enormous size of the ark, the height of the
mountains that the Flood waters covered, and the huge collection
of animals contradict a local flood theory and affirm the truth of
God's Word.
How
does
the belief in a worldwide flood affirm your Christian life?
74
Tuesday
August 24
THE FLOOD'S EFFECT ON THE EARTH (Gen. 7:4, 11, 12, 17-23).
According to the biblical record, what was the physical impact of the
Flood on the earth? Gen. 7:4, 11, 12, 17-23.
Even for those who accept the biblical teaching that the Flood was a
worldwide cataclysmic event, there is a tendency to underestimate the
extent of its power and destruction. It is easy to envision the Flood as
simply being a situation where lots of rain fell from heaven, the water
got very deep, and everything drowned. If the Bible is accurate in its
portrayal, however, the forces involved are beyond imagination. No
modern comparisons even begin to explain either the processes or the
results of what the Bible depicts. "Water appeared to come from the
clouds in mighty cataracts. Rivers broke away from their boundaries,
and overflowed the valleys. Jets of water burst from the earth with
indescribable force, throwing massive rocks hundreds of feet into the
air, and these, in falling, buried themselves deep in the ground."
—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 99.
How did the Flood's destruction affect humans and land animals?
Was marine life affected? Gen. 7:21-23.
"The entire surface of the earth was changed at the Flood. A third
dreadful curse rested upon it in consequence of sin. As the water began
to subside, the hills and mountains were surrounded by a vast, turbid
sea. Everywhere were strewn the dead bodies of men and beasts. . . .
The earth presented an appearance of confusion and desolation impos-
sible to describe. The mountains, once so beautiful in their perfect
symmetry, had become broken and irregular. Stones, ledges, and ragged
rocks were now scattered upon the surface of the
earth."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
pp. 107, 108.
Today, not surprisingly, most scientists, leaning on their belief in
the "laws of nature," would deny the possibility of a worldwide flood.
Even within the community of believers the idea of a worldwide flood
has been increasingly questioned. In Noah's day, "philosophers de-
clared that it was impossible for the world to be destroyed by water; so
now there are men of science who endeavor to show that the world
cannot be destroyed by fire—that this would be inconsistent with the
laws of
nature."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 103.
Believing that the coming flood of fire is as certain as was the
Flood of water, how should you prepare yourself and others for
that climactic event?
75
Wednesday
August 25
THE BIBLICAL FLOOD AND MODERN GEOLOGY (John 1:1-4,
14; Rom. 5:12-14; 8:19-22; 2 Pet. 3:3-7).
How important is the universal Flood for shedding light on the
fossil record, which, according to most evolutionists, represents
millions of years before humans first appeared on the earth? John
1:1-4, 14; Rom. 5:12-14; 8:19-22; 2 Pet.
3:3-7.
Probably one of the most controversial subjects being debated
within many Christian denominations is how to relate to the claim that
the fossils and rocks found in the earth represent millions of years of
life (and death) prior to the first appearance of humans on the planet.
This claim contradicts three basic biblical claims that: (1) All life on
earth, not just humans, originated by God's spoken word (Gen. 1:31-
2:1, 2; John 1:1-3) together within the original six-day week of Cre-
ation (Gen. 1:1-31). (2) There was no death anywhere in the world
before Adam and Eve's fall (Rom. 5:12-14; Rom. 8:19-22). (3) There
was a worldwide Flood that killed all nonmarine life forms, except
those preserved in the ark (Gen. 7:21-23; 2 Pet. 3:3-7), an event that
would be expected to leave some record in nature. In addition it also
contradicts the implicit suggestion in the Bible that Creation was a
relatively recent event in earth's history.
"In the history of the Flood, inspiration has explained that which
geology alone could never fathom. In the days of Noah, men, animals,
and trees, many times larger than now exist, were buried, and thus
preserved as an evidence to later generations that the antediluvians
perished by a flood. God designed that the discovery of these things
should establish faith in inspired history; but men, with their vain
reasoning, fall into the same error as did the people before the
Flood—the things which God gave them as a benefit, they turn into a
curse by making a wrong use of
them."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 112.
Creationists do not have all the answers to the questions and chal-
lenges posed by evolutionary scientists. Numerous things have been
found in nature that seem to defy explanation at present. The real
question for believers is In what authority are we going to place our
trust? Do we follow the conclusions of secular science, which fre-
quently change, or do we place our trust in God's Word? Trusting
God's Word involves the use of sound principles of interpretation that
are faithful to the inspired writer's intentions, as well as the guidance of
the Holy Spirit.
What did you learn in today's lesson about the history of the Flood,
as it relates to the fossil record embedded in the earth, that serves to
fortify your trust in God's Word? How does this help in your witness?
76
Thursday
August 26
A WAY OF ESCAPE (Matt. 24:38, 39; 2 Pet. 2:4-9; 3:5-7; Luke
17:26, 30; Pss. 91:9, 10; 27:5; 91:14).
How did Jesus and New Testament writers relate the Flood to the
final judgment? What does this imply about the extent of the
Flood? Matt. 24:38, 39; 2 Pet. 2:4-9; 3:5-7.
Peter, for example, invokes the judgment of Noah's universal flood
as a "type" (example) for the judgment at the end of time. He envisioned
a worldwide, universal flood by fire (2 Pet. 3:5-7). While the main point
of Jesus is that the judgment overtook people by surprise, there also is
the implied emphasis of the universal aspect of the judgment that none
will escape. If some escaped the first judgment, then the threat of the
second judgment is certainly diminished (Matt. 24:38, 39).
What danger lies in denying the reality of the Flood as a worldwide
judgment in terms of understanding the final judgment? Luke 17:26,
30; 2 Pet. 3:6, 7.
"When great and wise men had proved to their satisfaction that it
was impossible for the world to be destroyed by water, when the fears
of the people were quieted, when all regarded Noah's prophecy as a
delusion, and looked upon him as a fanatic—then it was that God's
time had come. . . . When the reasoning of philosophy has banished
the fear of God's judgments; when religious teachers are pointing
forward to long ages of peace and prosperity, and the world are
absorbed in their rounds of business and pleasure, planting and build-
ing, feasting and merrymaking . . . then it is that sudden destruction
cometh upon them, and they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3."
—Patriarchs and Prophets,
pp. 103, 104.
While the utter destruction of the earth, both past and future, is a
terrifying concept, what promise does God leave for His fol-
lowers? Pss. 91:9, 10; 27:5; 91:14.
"But the righteous will be preserved in the midst of these commo-
tions, as Noah was preserved in the ark. God will be their refuge, and
under His wings shall they
trust."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 110.
How can these texts in Isaiah 8:20, Colossians 2:8, 1 Timothy 6:20,
and Romans 1:20-22 help you deal with the claims of secular science?
77
Friday
August 27
FURTHER STUDY:
Read the following chapters in
Patriarchs and
Prophets,
"The Flood," pp. 90-104; "After the Flood," pp.105-110.
According to 1 Peter 3:20, 21, the Flood serves as a "type" for a
special experience that all of God's followers must go through. What
is it that the Flood symbolizes for God's followers?
One of the aspects of biblical typology is that the reality of that to
which it pointed (antitype) guarantees the reality of the type itself. In
this case the reality of the biblical Flood enables it to serve as a type of
experience that all God's followers must go through: dying to self and
being born again into a new life in Christ, an experience symbolized
by baptism.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
What is an appropriate attitude to assume when discussing
sensitive and controversial subjects such as origins? Is it pos-
sible to admit that we might not have the answers to everything
and yet build up confidence in God's Word?
2.
What possible evidences have you read or heard about that may
possibly support the idea of a worldwide Flood? What is a
good way to deal with scientific evidence we hear about, but
may not fully understand?
3.
"Satan himself, who was compelled to remain in the midst
of the warring elements, feared for his own existence."
—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 99. How does the fact that
Satan feared for his very existence during the Flood pro-
vide additional evidence of its massive and universal ex-
tent?
4.
What does the fact that God chose not to destroy Satan in
the Flood tell us about God's character?
SUMMARY:
The Bible teaches that the entire world was destroyed by
Noah's flood—this flood not only was historical but serves as a type
for the reality of the judgment to come. The certainty of the first
judgment is a confirmation of the final one. While the impending
judgment of the world is serious and near, God has again graciously
provided a way of escape. God wants us to proclaim the imminence of
both this judgment and the way of salvation.
78
The Criminals' Church, Part 2
J. H. Zachary
Abel Ti and his gang had committed nearly every crime imagin-
able. After escaping from prison, he and two former gang members
fled into the jungle. As Abel thought about his past, he decided that
they needed to change their lives. It was not safe to visit the church in
the valley, so the men built their own church.
"What do we do now that we have a church?" one man asked.
"We will hold services on Saturday, as the Adventists in prison
did," Abel answered. What a scene the angels must have beheld—
three hardened criminals worshiping God; two men sat in the pew
while the third led the service.
A few weeks later Abel saw some young people approaching the
bush chapel on Saturday morning. "Who are you?" Abel demanded.
"We are Adventists, students at the government school in the
valley," they answered. "We heard about a church up here and
decided to visit." Abel asked the young people to lead the service that
day. After worship he invited the youth to come every week. They
happily agreed.
The following Sabbath, when the students had not arrived by
11:00, Abel was worried. He asked a man walking along the path,
"Did you see the Adventist young people who are supposed to come
today?"
The man answered, "They aren't coming. The school principal
won't let them leave the campus."
Angry, Abel picked up his rifle and headed for the school. He
fired shots into the air, frightening the villagers who ran for cover.
When Abel arrived at the school, the gate was padlocked. He shot
open the lock and walked in, demanding to see the principal. When
he found the man, Abel aimed his rifle at the man's head.
"What do you want?" the principal stammered.
"Let the Adventist young people come to my church!" Abel
ordered. The principal agreed, and the youth again worshiped with
the three men in the jungle chapel. The Holy Spirit softened their
hearts, and the three men surrendered their lives to God.
Soon the little bush chapel was too small to hold all the people
who wanted to worship there. Abel and his friends have built a larger
church. One of the former convicts serves as head elder, and Abel
leads the Pathfinders. His face now radiates kindness and love,
miraculously transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
J. H. Zachary is international evangelism coordinator of the Quiet Hour,
located in Redlands, California.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness
E-mail: gomission4compuserve.com
79
Lesson 10
August 28—September 3
The Master Designer
Sabbath Afternoon
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Gen. 1:26; 1 Cor. 12:18;
Pss. 119:73; 139.
MEMORY TEXT: "For since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without
excuse" (Romans 1:20, NKJV).
KEY THOUGHT: The tremendous
amount of order in nature and the
evidence of design infers that there must have been a Designer. The
Bible identifies that Master Designer as God.
IF YOU WERE
to walk into a room and see a pen lying on the floor,
you would probably not think much about it. However, if you saw three
pens neatly lined up end to end, you would immediately think that
someone had been in the room before you, playing with the pens. Pens
do not simply line themselves up. The order of the pens would suggest
to you that some intelligent person (perhaps a child) saw those pens,
thought about them, conceived of the idea of lining them up, and then
did so.
On a much more sophisticated level, many scientists have marveled
at the evidence for design they see in nature. The human eye, the wing
of a bird, the symmetry of a jellyfish or a snowflake all testify to a
Master Designer. This week we will take a look at the Bible's descrip-
tion of God as the Master Designer, and we will also look at some of
the evidence we see for that design in nature.
80
Sunday
August 29
IN THE IMAGE OF THE MASTER DESIGNER (Gen. 1:26; 2:7,
21-25; Ps. 104:24; 1 Cor. 12:18).
How does Genesis 1:26 address the question whether humans origi-
nated from intelligent divine intention or from blind chance?
In their original sin-free Eden home Adam and Eve could read the
imprint of the Master Designer on all things. "On every leaf of the forest
or stone of the mountains, in every shining star, in earth and air and sky,
God's name was written. The order and harmony of creation spoke to
them of infinite wisdom and power. They were ever discovering some
attraction that filled their hearts with deeper love and called forth fresh
expressions of
gratitude."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 51.
Looking again at Genesis 1:26, what striking difference exists
between human beings and all other earth creatures? What do you
think are the most important implications that follow from this differ-
ence? (see also Ps. 8:5).
Harvard University scholar Krister Stendahl offers the following
insightful comment: "As the crowning feature of that world it was
God's beautiful dream—and risky—that there be a type of creature
that would serve God in perfect freedom, not out of nature's necessity.
And human beings were made in God's image—male and female God
created
them."—Meanings
(Philadelphia, Penn.: Fortress Press, 1984),
p. 234. The dream of God was to have us love Him freely, an act far
transcending the devotion of animals to humans stemming from "nature's
necessity." "His [man's] nature was in harmony with the will of God.
His mind was capable of comprehending divine things. His affections
were pure; his appetites and passions were under the control of
rea-
son."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 45.
What other ideas concerning our origin are suggested by the
special ways in which God fashioned Adam and Eve? Gen. 2:7, 21-25.
Reflect on 1 Corinthians 12:18 and Psalm 104:24 in connection
with what Crystal Earnhardt said: "My brain works far better than a
man-made computer. My brain can store a lifetime of information....
My eyes work far better than a man-made camera.... My designer
invented automatic windshield wipers (blink) and tear glands to clean
out dust. . . I am designed. So are you."—"Why I Believe in Cre-
ation,"
Insight
(November 10, 1990), p. 5.
81
Monday
August 30
THE ORDINANCES OF THE HEAVENS AND THE GLORY
OF GOD (Job 38:31-33; Pss. 8:3, 4; 19:1-6; 136:5).
What is David teaching when he says "The heavens declare the glory
of God; the firmament showeth his handiwork"? Pss. 19:1; 136:5.
One major point is that "God as creator has established a reality
which is distinguished from himself, that he is active in it (Psalm 104)
and preserves it. God is not the creation, he is the creator."—Hans-
Joachim Kraus,
Theology of the Psalms
(Minneapolis, Minn.: Fortress
Press, 1992), p. 36. This means that the sun and moon and stars
declare the glory of God and not their own divinity as Israel's neigh-
bors may have mistakenly imagined.
Concerning this point Titus Matemavi, of Zimbabwe, writes: "The
beautiful universe was created by God but not out of God. The cosmos
is not made out of God-stuff. This is why it is a grievous sin to worship
and serve the 'creature rather than the Creator' (Rom. 1:25, NKJV). It
is for this reason that idolatry is condemned so strongly in the Scrip-
tures (Exod. 20:4). . . . The material universe is not made out of God,
but it is a declaration about God (Rom 1:20)."
What is God suggesting in Job 38:32, 33 about His relation to
the heavens? What are the "ordinances of the heavens"?
Ellen White writes: "The hand of infinite power is perpetually at work
guiding this planet. It is God's power momentarily exercised that keeps
it in position in its rotations. . . . It is not as the result of a mechanism,
that, once set in motion, continues its work, that the pulse beats and
breath follows breath. In God we live and move and have our being. . . .
Although the Lord has ceased His work in creating, He is constantly
employed in upholding and using as His servants the things which He
has made."—SDA
Bible Commentary,
vol. 6, p. 1062.
John Polkinghorne explains that the intrinsic earth forces such as
gravity, nuclear forces, electromagneticism must be strikingly fine-
tuned or life could not exist on our planet. "I believe," he writes, "that
in the delicate fine-tuning of physical law. . . we receive a . . . hint
from science that there is a divine meaning and purpose behind cosmic
history."—John Polkinghorne,
Beyond Science: The Wider Human
Context
(Cambridge, Mass.: University Press, 1996), pp. 81-85, 92.
Share with your class a moving experience of contemplating
the starry heavens as the work of God's mind and power.
82
Tuesday
August 31
FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE (Pss. 8:4; 139:14).
What led David to exclaim, "What is man ..."? Ps. 8:4.
"Psalm 8:4 sets the tone for all other passages in the Psalms regarding
the creation of humankind, and they should be interpreted in this light.
The context suggests that the words 'What is man' should really be
followed by an exclamation point, not by a question mark, expressing
limitless astonishment. In heaven and earth the creation bears witness to
God's greatness and majesty. Through this, the psalmist becomes aware
of the value of his own
humanity."—Theology of the Psalms
(Minneapo-
lis, Minn.: Fortress Press, 1992), p. 148.
What do you think David meant when he wrote that "we are
fearfully and wonderfully made"? Ps. 139:14.
Michael Behe's recent book,
Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical
Challenge to Evolution,
shows that a human being is composed of
numerous genetically controlled systems, which are very complex and
so could have no evolutionary physical precursors. He uses the figure
of a mousetrap to illustrate his point. If just one working part of the
mousetrap is removed, the trap system would not work.—(New York,
N.Y.: The Free Press, 1996), pp. 42, 43.
The human body is composed of infinitely much more complex and
interdependent systems such as the blood-clotting system, immune
system, circulatory system. This indicates the biological impossibility
of forming these systems by countless, small, slow accumulative steps
according to the Darwinian theory of evolution. Nonfunctioning inter-
mediate steps would have no selective value, and so would not be
preserved by natural selection. Function requires an initial level of
sufficient system organization. Unorganized, unguided matter cannot
satisfy this necessity. (See John T. Baldwin, "God and the World:
William Paley's Argument From Perfection Tradition,"
The Harvard
Theological Review
[Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Divinity School,
1992], vol. 85:1, pp. 109-120.)
To where does John 5:17 point as the ultimate source of the
active energy displayed in us and in nature?
We are "fearfully and wonderfully made." Think of some wonder
in the way God made you. How does this help you praise God for His
wondrous design?
83
Wednesday
September 1
GO TO THE ANT (Prov. 6:6-8).
Why does God instruct us to observe a specific portion of the
insect world? Prov. 6:6.
William Beebe gives a colorful description of an army ant brigade at
work in a hole in the jungle sand of Guiana: "This mob consisted of
potential corduroy, rope-bridges, props, hand-rails, lattices, screens,
filler, stiles, ladders, and other unnameable adjuncts to the successful
scaling of these apparently impregnable cliffs. If a stratum of hard sand
appeared, on which no impression could be made, a line of ants strung
themselves out, each elaborately fixing himself fast by means of jaws
and feet. From that moment his feverish activity left him: he became a
fixture, a single unit of a swaying bridge over a chasm; a beam, an
organic plank, over which his fellows tramped by hundreds, some
empty, some heavily laden. If a sudden ascent had to be made, one ant
joined himself to others to form a hanging ladder, up which the columns
climbed, partly braced against the sandy
wall."—Jungle Peace
(New
York, N.Y.: The Modern Library, 1920), p. 222.
The ultimate origin of such remarkable intelligent behavior in insects
can be found only in the mind of a loving Creator God, whose wisdom is
infinite and whose "tender mercies are over all His works" (Ps. 145:9).
Perhaps similar examples caused David to exclaim: "Let everything that
hath breath praise the Lord" (Ps. 150:6). While we recognize that all
good things proceed from our loving God, evil still exists in this world.
We await the day when God will eradicate all evil and restore all things
to perfection.
What valuable lessons can we learn from observing the ant? Prov.
6:6-8.
Beebe watched the ants assist one another. On page 223 of his book
he writes: "An over-burdened brother would be given a helping jaw and
assisted for some distance to the end of his beat.
I
was especially
interested in seeing, again and again, this willingness to help bear the
burdens." No wonder God instructs us to go to the ant to learn lessons
of social interaction divinely imprinted into the ant genome. With us
sinful human beings it is different. Laws for human interaction must be
written on our willing hearts by the Holy Spirit (Jer. 31:33).
What are some marvels in the insect world you have ob-
served? Challenge yourself to find ways that a butterfly or a
wasp building its nest could reflect or illustrate an aspect of
God's love. Share one example with your Sabbath School class.
84
Thursday
September 2
THE WINGED WORLD AND GOD'S ASTONISHING DESIGN
(Jer. 8:7).
In what way does God teach profound spiritual lessons
by reference
to the winged world? Jer. 8:7.
In their book,
God's Wonderful World,
George Vandeman and Asa
Thoresen discuss the miracle of bird flight. Because the bones of birds
are hollow, the wing bones of the man-o'-war, with a wingspan of about
seven feet, weigh only four or five ounces. The breast muscles that
operate the wings represent up to 30 percent of the total body weight in
some birds, while in human beings the breast muscles compose less
that one percent of body weight. Rapid energy can be delivered to the
breast muscles of birds because they have a higher blood pressure than
humans, and their blood-sugar concentration is about twice that of
mammals.
Golden plovers are such efficient fliers that they can migrate thou-
sands of miles across the ocean, from Labrador to the midpoint of South
America, and lose only about two ounces of body weight. A plane doing
as well would get 160 miles to the gallon of fuel instead of the 20 miles
to the gallon it does now. Under a microscope, a flight feather is ex-
tremely complex. There are veins, barbs, barbules, flanges, and tiny
hooks. All work together to form a zipper. When it becomes unzipped, it
can be zipped up again by preening. These remarkable natural realities
indicate that God's designs outshine anything humans can invent.
The argument from perfection and the development of the bird
lungs according to the Darwinian theory.
Michel Denton addresses
the question of whether the imperfect, intermediate or missing links
presented in the Darwinian theory are truly tenable. He applies the
argument from perfection to the evolutionary claim that bird lungs
developed from reptile lungs.
Denton shows that in all vertebrates except birds, air is moved in and
out through the same passage in a bellows fashion. Evolutionary theory
claims that the bird lung has been adapted from the reptilian lung. Is this
adaptation biologically possible? "No," says Denton for the following
reasons: Birds have an utterly different respiratory system from that of
reptiles. In birds, air flow in one direction is maintained during both
inspiration and expiration by a complex system of interconnected air
sacs in the bird's body. These air sacs expand and contract in such a
way as to ensure a continuous delivery of air through the parabronchi.
Denton says that there can be no intermediate link between reptile
lungs and bird lungs because of how they function.—Evolution:
A
Theory in Crisis
(Bethesda, Md.: Adler & Adler, 1985), p. 212.
85
Friday
September 3
FURTHER STUDY:
Read
Patriarchs and Prophets,
pp. 114-116.
"As commonly used, the term 'laws of nature' comprises what men
have been able to discover with regard to the laws that govern the
physical world; but how limited is their knowledge, and how vast the
field in which the Creator can work in harmony with His own laws and
yet wholly beyond the comprehension of finite beings!
"Many teach that matter possesses vital power—that certain prop-
erties are imparted to matter, and it is then left to act through its own
inherent energy; and that the operations of nature are conducted in
harmony with fixed laws, with which God Himself cannot interfere. This
is false science, and is not sustained by the word of God. Nature is the
servant of her Creator. God does not annul His laws or work contrary
to them but He is continually using them as His instruments. Nature
testifies of an intelligence, a presence, an active energy, that works in
and through her laws. There is in nature the continual working of the
Father and the Son. Christ says, 'My Father worketh hitherto, and I
work.' John
5:17."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 114.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
I. Referring to Michel Denton's argument in yesterday's lesson,
in your opinion, how does his conclusion about the lack of
useful intermediate forms between reptile lungs and bird
lungs respond to the following admission by Darwin? "If it
could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed,
which could not possibly have been formed by numerous,
successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely
break down. But I can find out no such case."—Charles
Darwin,
The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection
or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life,
Penguin Classics edition, (London: Penguin Books, 1985),
p. 219
2. What different examples of the argument from perfection can
you think of that convincingly answer Darwin's admission pre-
sented above? Share these with your class.
SUMMARY:
All around us in nature there is evidence of complex
design. The evidence of design points to a Master Designer—God. It
is comforting to know that the God who designed us also knows how
to restore us.
86
A•111111k
In Search of Peace
Felix Vert-Pre
I led an evangelistic series in the area near my home in central
Martinique. The young people from my church helped me contact
the people and invite them to the meetings.
Not far from the meeting place stood the home of a single
mother named Gigi. She supports her seven children by working in
the nearby fields, carrying heavy bunches of bananas and loads of
pineapple to market. This was back-breaking work for Gigi, but
she could not let her children go hungry.
For several days Gigi and her children had been kept awake at
night by strange noises. From midnight until sunrise it sounded as
if someone were throwing rocks onto her tin roof. In the morning
the family was too tired to go to work or school.
Desperate for some rest, Gigi consulted a local medium. The
man told her that her former husband had cast a spell on her home.
The man gave Gigi some bottles filled with liquid and told her to
sprinkle the liquid in and around her house. He also told her to
write the names Melkior, Gaspar, and Balthazar above each door
and window.
Gigi did as the medium had instructed her, but the night was as
noisy as ever. She returned to the medium and complained that his
"cure" had not worked. Several times she visited him, hoping that
he could cast out the demons who were making her life unbearable,
but nothing helped. In the end, Gigi had spent every cent she had
for nothing.
About this time Gigi received an invitation to the evangelistic
meetings. She and her children attended the meetings, hoping to
find a measure of peace from the demonic noises in the night. The
family listened to the messages. Soon they began to believe. Gigi
had come to find physical rest and peace, but she found rest in
Jesus and peace of heart. She learned to worship and pray and trust
in the power of Jesus Christ over the spirits.
Following the meetings Gigi and five of her children were
baptized. Today Gigi serves as a deaconess in the church. One of
her daughters teaches Sabbath School, and another sings in choir
and leads children's Sabbath School. Gigi's family enjoys calm
nights and sweet rest because they have put their trust in God.
Felix Vert-Pre is a painter by trade and a lay evangelist on the island
of Martinique in the Caribbean.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness
E-mail: gomission@compuserve.com
87
Lesson 11
September 4-10
God's Power in Nature
Sabbath Afternoon
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Pss. 33:6; 104; Heb. 1:3;
11:3; Matt. 6:25, 26; Luke 12:22-24.
MEMORY TEXT: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the
firmament shows His handiwork" (Psalm 19:1, NKJV).
KEY THOUGHT:
Through nature we see not only the power of God
in His creative acts and His sustaining power, we also learn about His
love, wisdom, and mercy. Being in nature brings us close to God and
restores us both physically and spiritually.
MEETING GOD IN NATURE. Through
the centuries many philoso-
phers have confused God with His creation (see Rom. 1:18-25). In some
cases, such as pantheistic philosophy, God is even equated with na-
ture! In spite of this, we can learn much about God through His
creation. Who hasn't experienced a sense of awe and felt the presence
of a greater Power when driving or, better, hiking through majestic
mountains or watching the crashing of mighty waves upon a rocky
coastline? Who hasn't felt the relaxing peace that comes over us when
resting beside a bubbling brook or listening to the singing of the birds
in branches just overhead?
At times like these we witness the power of the Creator and feel a
soothing of our souls. There is much we can learn and benefit from
nature, especially when we recognize the Creator behind the scenes.
Jesus, the Creator of all, often drew lessons from nature. In this lesson
we want to look at some of the benefits we can draw from nature.
88
Sunday
September 5
THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD—HIS CREATIVE WORD (Ps.
33:6; Heb. 11:3, 1:3).
By what means did God bring into existence all that is? Ps. 33:6.
What does this tell us about Him?
The truth stated in Psalm 33:6 is one of the most simple and yet
profound statements about God and His power in the Scriptures. We
see this divine process in operation, without explanation, in Genesis,
chapter 1. Each of the first days is introduced by the expression "And
God said . . ."
What material did God use when He
created the universe, this
world, humankind? Heb. 11:3.
The account of the creation of the first humans in Genesis 2:7, 20-22
clearly depicts God making Adam from clay; Eve, in turn, was created
from Adam's rib. In these cases, God did use matter that was already
in existence. However, the question remains: Where did that matter,
the clay, for example, ultimately come from? According to Hebrews
11:3, we understand by faith "that the universe was formed at God's
command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was
visible"(NIV). This was the best way that the author of Hebrews could
say that God made the universe out of nothing. Scholars describe this
type of creation, of making something out of nothing by divine fiat (a
command that creates something), as
ex nihilo
("out of nothing")
creation. What the Bible is teaching here is that ultimately all matter
in the universe was created by God. Conversely, the Bible is saying
that God preceded everything else in the universe, including matter
and energy, that He is eternal and the eternal Originator of everything.
In this one simple statement the author of Hebrews staked out God's
claim as the only true God of the universe. He has no rivals or peers,
either animate or inanimate. Another way of making this point, which
was particularly significant in biblical times (but no less so today), is
that there are no other gods but the Lord (1 Chron. 16:24-27; Ps. 96:5, 6;
Isa. 40:18-26; 42:5-9; 44).
Think it through: God did not simply create this world or
wind it up like a clock and then abandon it. God is not an aloof
deity who has turned His back on His creation, leaving them to
their own devices. He continues "upholding all things by the
word of His power" (Heb. 1:3, NKJV). Let us praise Him now
for every breath we take and every pulsation of the heart.
89
Monday
September 6
CARING FOR GOD'S CREATION (Rev. 11:18; Ps. 104:20, 21, 27,
28; 147:9; Exod. 23:4, 5; Deut. 22:6, 7; Prov. 12:10).
How does Revelation 11:18 show that God takes seriously how
people treat His creation? What responsibility do Christians have
toward the environment?
A challenge that faces us Seventh-day Adventists, who believe the
Lord is coming soon, is our responsibility to care for the earth. To put
it bluntly, if the Lord is going to come soon and destroy this planet
anyway, why should we bother to take care of it? There are several
things in the Christian life that, while on the surface may look unfruit-
ful, God asks us to do because they are right to do. Take prayer, for
example. If God knows everything, why pray? Doesn't He already
know who needs help? Or, why care for our bodies if God is going to
give us new ones anyway?
It is important to remember that just as God has placed value on our
bodies, He has also placed value on the rest of His creation. He even
gave humankind the responsibility of being good stewards of His
creation from the very beginning.
How does God provide for His creatures? Pss. 104:20, 21, 27, 28;
147:9.
A consistent picture that emerges from both the Old and New Testa-
ments is God's awareness of and provision for the needs of His crea-
tures. If the great God of the universe cares even about a sparrow,
surely He cares about us! Indeed, God does know and care about all
aspects of His creation. If He does, shouldn't we also?
How does God want us to treat His creatures? Exod. 23:4, 5; Deut.
22:6, 7; Prov. 12:10.
Reflect on the following statement as you contempate a vari-
ety of ways to alleviate the abuse and suffering of animals that,
unfortunately, is all too prevalent today: "Few realize as they
should the sinfulness of abusing animals or leaving them to
suffer from neglect.... A record goes up to heaven, and a day is
coming when judgment will be pronounced against those who
abuse God's
creatures."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 443.
90
Tuesday
September 7
INTERDEPENDENCE—BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES OF ECOL-
OGY (Ps. 104:10-23; Deut. 20:19, 20; 2 Kings 3:25).
How does the Bible remind us that all things are interdependent?
Ps. 104:10-23.
Ecological concerns are a rather modern phenomenon. They emerged
when some perceptive scientists realized that our modern technology
was destroying our earth. Studies of ecology showed that all life is
interdependent. One cannot destroy or disrupt one component in the
environment without its having repercussions elsewhere in the entire
ecosystem. Still, the principles of ecology—how things are inter-
dependent—can be found in the Bible.
"All things both in heaven and in earth declare that the great law of
life is a law of service. The infinite Father ministers to the life of every
living thing. . . . The same law of service is written upon all things in
nature. The birds of the air, the beasts of the field, the trees of the
forest, the leaves, the grass, and the flowers, the sun in the heavens
and the stars of light—all have their ministry. Lake and ocean, river
and water-spring—each takes to
give."—Education,
p. 103.
The psalmist paints a beautiful word picture of how the trees
provide a home for the birds; even the inanimate objects such as the
water, rocks, sun, and moon have mutually beneficial functions. Be-
hind the role of each object is found the design of the Master Creator.
What hints are there in the Bible against abusing nature? Deut.
20:19, 20; 2 Kings 3:25.
The injunction in Deuteronomy is primarily against cutting down
fruit trees; however, there were consequences even for cutting down
nonfruit trees. While the Bible describes the land as productive and
full of trees, the continued cutting down of woodlands eventually
resulted in the deforestation of nearly the entire country. With the
passing of time there were virtually no trees on the hills of Palestine.
The absence of trees meant there were no roots to hold the soil in
place, and consequently, it eroded off the slopes, leaving the land
quite desolate. This process is now being reversed through reforestation.
All God's creation reveals the great law of service and ac-
countability. In what ways is this law revealed in your life?
Think of creative ways to provide a haven for nature and a
sanctuary for wildlife in your own surroundings or backyard.
91
Wednesday
September 8
LESSONS FROM GOD'S CREATION (Job 38:11; Ps. 104:9;
19:1-6; Luke 8:24, 25; 5:16; John 6:15).
What can nature teach us about obedience? Job 38:11; Ps. 104:9;
Luke 8:24, 25.
Nature is obedient to its Creator. Take, for example, how the great
waters of the deep keep the boundaries He set for them and how the
proud waves of the mighty oceans humble themselves before Him. The
raging storms obey His command. "The lessons to be learned from the
various objects of the natural world are these: They are obedient to the
will of their Creator; they never deny God, never refuse obedience to any
intimation of His
will."—Testimonies for the Church,
vol. 3, p. 333.
What does nature say about God's glory? Ps. 19:1-6.
Try to imagine how beautiful nature was when it came forth from its
Creator. The most beautiful scene in nature today fades into insignifi-
cance in comparison. Yet we still enjoy its magnificence and see His
goodness and glory in its mountain peaks, mighty oceans, flowery
meadows, and running brooks. In spite of their blighted state, we still
can discern the beautiful traces of the Master Designer. If an imperfect
nature can bring us such joy and inspire our hearts to glorify God, how
much more will nature restored!
How did Jesus relate to nature, and what does He desire us to learn
from it? Luke 5:16; 6:12; John 6:15.
Jesus was drawn to nature to pray and commune with His Father. He
felt the need to be alone with God, away from the throngs. Solitude with
the Father prepared Him to serve the crowd. If Christ needed to draw
near to His Father in the quietness of nature, we certainly do too!
As you contemplate this thought about Christ, think of crea-
tive ways in which you can commune with God in nature: "Christ
loved to gather the people about Him under the blue heavens, on
some grassy hillside, or on the beach beside the lake. Here,
surrounded by the works of His own creation, He could turn
their thoughts from the artificial to the natural. In the growth
and development of nature were revealed the principles of His
kingdom."—The
Ministry of Healing,
p. 54.
92
Thursday
September 9
THE HEALING POWER OF GOD'S CREATION (Mark 6:31;
Gen. 2:15; 3:23; Ps. 23:1-3).
Why did Jesus invite His disciples to be alone with Him in nature?
Mark 6:31.
"It is right that we should choose such places as this grove for
seasons of relaxation and recreation. . . . As we behold these works of
nature we should let the mind be carried up higher, to nature's God; let
it be elevated to the Creator of the universe, and then adore the Creator
who has made all these beautiful things for our benefit and
happi-
ness."—Testimonies for the Church,
vol. 2, p. 589.
When we enjoy rest and recreation in nature, do we also experience
spiritual rest? What is the relationship between rest and spiritual resto-
ration?
"Rest
and
Trust
in God go hand in hand. To really rest in God is
to truly trust Him. Rest, be it physical, mental or spiritual, is intertwined
with trusting in God's providence. . .. Rest is related to restoration. . . .
And from a spiritual perspective, for us to be prepared to enter God's
heavenly rest we must first enter His rest here."—Philip G. Samaan,
Christ's Way to Spiritual Growth
(Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Her-
ald Publishing Assn., 1995), p. 192.
As you study Genesis 2:15 and 3:23, why do you think God wanted
Adam to work in nature before and after the Fall?
Work in nature "will continually remind us of our Creator and Re-
deemer. The thought of God will run like a thread of gold through all our
homely cares and occupations. For us the glory of His face will again
rest upon the face of nature. We shall ever be learning new lessons of
heavenly truth, and growing into the image of His
purity."—Christ's
Object Lessons,
p. 27.
How can exposure to nature help us when we are sick? "The sick
need to be brought into close touch with nature. An outdoor life amid
natural surroundings would work wonders for many a helpless and
almost hopeless invalid."—The
Ministry of Healing,
p. 262. "Pure air
and water, cleanliness, a proper diet, purity of life, and a firm trust in
God are remedies for the want of which thousands are
dying."—Testi-
monies for the Church,
vol. 5, p. 443.
Take a few moments this week to meditate on Psalm 23:1-3.
How does this help you to experience rest and restoration in
trusting the divine Shepherd? How do the insights on rest in the
psalm heighten the importance and joy of resting on the Sab-
bath?
93
Friday
September 10
FURTHER STUDY:
Study 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 to find a parallel
between the interdependence of nature and the interdependence of the
members of the body of Christ.
Read
The Ministry of Healing,
pp. 126-128 and "In Contact With
Nature," pp. 261-268.
"God's healing power runs all through nature. If a tree is cut, if a
human being is wounded or breaks a bone, nature begins at once to repair
the injury. Even before the need exists, the healing agencies are in
readiness; and as soon as a part is wounded, every energy is bent to the
work of restoration. So it is in the spiritual realm. Before sin created the
need, God had provided the remedy. Every soul that yields to temptation
is wounded, bruised, by the adversary; but wherever there is sin, there
is the Saviour. It is Christ's work 'to heal the brokenhearted."'
—Education,
p. 113.
"The angels of heaven look upon the distress of God's family upon
the earth, and they are prepared to co-operate with men in relieving
oppression and suffering. . . . The merciful provisions of the law ex-
tended even to the lower animals, which cannot express in words their
want and suffering."—The
Desire of Ages,
p. 500.
"Many do not realize that their cruelty will ever be known, because
the poor dumb animals cannot reveal it. But could the eyes of these
men be opened, as were those of Balaam, they would see an angel of
God standing as a witness, to testify against them in the courts above.
A record goes up to heaven, and a day is coming when judgment will be
pronounced against those who abuse God's
creatures."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
p. 443.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
I. Can you relate any experiences in which being in nature rejuve-
nated you? What type of outdoor activity do you find most benefi-
cial?
2. How can you distinguish between God's power in nature and the
idea that God is equated with nature (pantheism)?
SUMMARY:
It is important to spend time with God's "second book,"
nature. While we are in nature, we can draw closer to God by witnessing
the magnificence of His creation and allowing His voice to speak to us.
Because nature is part of God's creation and a gift to us, we have an
obligation to protect and preserve it.
94
Football and Religion
Michael Porter
During a month-long evangelistic series in Ukraine, we told the 600
listeners that in spite of what they had learned all their lives, Jesus Christ
cares about them, that trusting in Christ is a viable option. We could see
by the look on people's faces that they were struggling to grasp these new
truths.
Questions from the audience told us that they were perplexed by the
idea of the Sabbath. We wondered how to explain the Sabbath to these
people whose calendar began the week on Monday. We found the answer
in the Russian language. The word for Sunday literally means "resurrec-
tion," and the word for Sabbath is
Subota,
from the Hebrew word
Sabbath. Imagine all the effort the communists put into doing away with
anything related to God, while the names of the days reminded the people
of Christ's Sabbath and His resurrection! The Ukrainian language offered
similar help with the weekly cycle.
Other lectures brought interesting responses from the listeners as well.
One man who attended the meetings is the editor of a local newspaper
called
Football,
referring to the game some countries call soccer. Shortly
after the message on healthful living, someone brought a copy of this
newspaper to us and pointed out an article the editor had written about our
meetings. The article was called "Religion and Football."
In the article the writer said, "Missionaries Paul Kulakov from Mos-
cow and Michael Porter from the United States are giving sermons in the
city's culture house in the evening. They have touched upon the question
of people's physical health.
"Football is a game in harmony with life and with the physical and
spiritual development of humankind. . . . Football gives a person gladness
and good physical development. . . . Jesus Christ gave the world every-
thing, including football. He only asks us—do not sin. By choosing
football, let us choose this better way. Amen!"
Despite his interesting interpretation of
the health message, the editor, along with
175 others, were baptized following the
meetings. They formed the nucleus of a
new Adventist church in Berdyansk,
Ukraine.
Michael Porter is director for special
projects and Ingathering-funded projects for
ADRA International's central office.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awarenes
E-mail: gomission@compuserve.com
95
Lesson 12
September 11-17
Sabbath and Redemption
in Creation
Sabbath Afternoon
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Exod. 31:12, 13; 20:11;
Gen. 2:2, 3.
MEMORY TEXT: "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of
heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell
on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with
a loud voice, 'Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His
judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth,
the sea and springs of water" (Revelation 14:6, 7, NKJV).
KEY THOUGHT:
Since the Fall, the Sabbath has taken on a new
meaning for humanity. While it remains a memorial to God's original
Creation, it now also represents a part of the plan of redemption. On the
Sabbath we rest from our works and draw closer to the God who saves
us.
ENTERING INTO GOD'S REST.
Among the many teachings of the
Bible that are important to Seventh-day Adventists, two have particu-
larly generated much study and discussion: justification and sanctifi-
cation. They are integral to our understanding of salvation; and they
play a part in the new role that the Sabbath has assumed since the Fall.
Justification has to do with the fact that Jesus' death has fully paid for
our sins and provided us with eternal salvation. Sanctification is the
work of a lifetime. It deals with God's gracious imparting of His Holy
Spirit to dwell within us and continuously transform us more and more
into His image.
96
Sunday
September 12
A PALACE IN TIME (Gen. 2:2-4; Exod. 20:11; 31:17).
How did God commemorate the completion of six days of creative
activity? (Gen. 2:2, 3).
As Richard Davidson in his book
A Love Song for the Sabbath
has
pointed out, God did not construct an elaborate shrine in some location
as a memorial of His created work. Rather than a physical palace, God
constructed a "palace in time."—(Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald
Publishing Association, 1988), p. 27.
What are the three steps God took in constructing His "palace in
time"? See Gen. 2:3, 4. What does it mean to "rest" on the Sabbath?
Exod. 20:11.
1.
2.
3.
Scripture says God "does not grow faint or grow weary" (Isa.
40:28, RSV). Why then would He rest? The answer is given in Exodus
20:8-11, which suggests that God's rest was to set a pattern for us.
Davidson directs our attention to the Hebrew words for rest in Exodus
20:11 and 31:17. The words are different, suggesting the author's
attempt to give a broader understanding of rest. In 20:11 the word is
nuach,
which conveys the idea of tranquility, serenity, peace, and
repose. In 31:17 the word is
naphash,
which suggests the idea of
taking on new life, breathing freely, and being refreshed. Combined,
these words for rest suggest much more than just a physical rest.
Rather, they point toward a rejuvenation and refreshing that come
from intimate fellowship with God.Adapted from Davidson, pp. 27, 28.
We know that the Sabbath day is holy. But what makes it so? It is
important to realize that the Sabbath does not become holy because we
"keep" it. As Abraham Heschel puts it, "Even when men forsake the
Sabbath, its holiness
remains."—The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern
Man
(New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1951), p. 82. It is holy
because God has made it so. The essence of its holiness is God's
presence.
Although He is present with us all week, the Sabbath is the
day that God Himself has set aside for special fellowship with us.
On the Sabbath God gives us many blessings but, most im-
portant, He gives us Himself. Have you experienced God giving
Himself to you on the Sabbath? Explain. How have you re-
sponded in giving yourself to Him?
97
Monday
September 13
OUR NEED FOR THE PRESENCE OF GOD (Isa. 59:2; Exod.
31:12, 13; 33:19-23; Ezek. 20:12, 20; Heb. 4:9-11).
How did the Fall affect the Sabbath relationship that God desires to
have with His children? Isa. 59:2; Exod. 31:13; 33:19-23.
Because of the barrier of sin, God could no longer meet with human-
ity face to face on the Sabbath. The holiness of God is a consuming fire
to sin, making it impossible for us to meet directly with our Creator.
What does God call His gift of the Sabbath? What special purpose
does it serve in our relationship with Him? Exod. 31:12, 13; Ezek.
20:12, 20.
As a result of humanity's separation from God, our need for the
Sabbath is greater than ever. "More than ever man needed a special
time to fellowship with God and meditate upon His character and works.
Though as sinners human beings could not endure the glory of open
encounter with their Creator, God still called for them to come and meet
with Him on the Sabbath."—Davidson, p. 33.
As Ellen White explains it, "The Sabbath is a sign of Christ's power
to make us holy."—The
Desire of Ages,
p. 288.
In what ways can the Sabbath "re-create" us and "make us holy"?
Heb. 4:9-11.
"The Sabbath thus bears witness both to the creative and to the
sanctifying power of God, and its observance is an acknowledgment
of faith in His power to create and to re-create, or sanctify, individual
lives. Moreover, "the 'rest' that remains (v. 9) is obviously the 'rest'
into which the believing Christian of v. 10 enters. The word 'for' of v.
10 makes v. 10 contingent upon, and a conclusion drawn from, v.
9."—The SDA Bible Commentary, vol.
7, pp. 420, 423. That is, it is a
rest from the works of sin and any attempt to earn salvation. This
understanding of Hebrews 4:9 is supported by Ellen White who noted
that the "rest" in this verse referred to the "rest of
faith."—Thoughts
From the Mount of Blessings,
p. 1.
"By communing with God, we actually partake of His holiness ...
and in that intimate relationship [we] become changed more and more
into His likeness."—Davidson, p. 89. What Sabbath activities can help
you experience God's power to re-create and sanctify you?
98
Tuesday
September 14
SABBATH RE-CREATION (1 John 3:2; 4:17; Ezek. 11:19, 20;
Ps. 51:10-12; Isa. 56:1-7; 58:13, 14).
What will ultimately happen to us when we spend that special time
with our Creator and Redeemer? 1 John
3:2; 4:17.
The separation from God that sin initially brought upon the human
race will be reversed. In this life our sins prevent us from direct com-
munion with our God. However, the time is coming when through God's
grace that separation will be no more. For we will once again be able
to see His face and commune with Him directly. The process that
enables this glorious experience begins here and now through our
daily communion with Him, especially when we experience His pres-
ence on the Sabbath.
What happens when the Spirit of God enters into our heart? Ezek.
11:19, 20; Ps. 51:10-12.
"When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms
the life. . . . The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself
to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new
being in the image of God."—The
Desire of Ages,
p. 173.
In your own words describe what it truly means to experience
the "presence of God." In what ways can we authentically experi-
ence the "presence of God" on the Sabbath in a way that will be a
blessing to ourselves and others? Isa. 56:1-7; 58:13, 14.
Our tendency is to emphasize the turning away from our own pleas-
ure (or business) on the Sabbath and we fail to grasp the importance of
calling the Sabbath a "delight" (Isa. 58:13). The Hebrew word
oneg
can
be translated "exquisite delight"—a word used elsewhere in the Old
Testament only in connection with enjoying the pleasures of royalty. The
fact that God has set up "royal" opportunities for intimate fellowship
with us indicates how much He loves us and how important such com-
munion is for our restoration. Only by beholding Him and delighting
ourselves in His presence can we be transformed into His loving and
loyal children and be prepared to see Him when He comes again.
When it comes to your "royal" appointment with God on the
Sabbath, do you focus more on your "duty" or more on your
"delight" in fellowship with Him? Why?
99
Wednesday
September 15
A THREAT TO GOD'S PLAN TO RE-CREATE US (Rev. 14:6, 7).
What role does the Sabbath and the doctrine of Creation play just
before Jesus' return? Rev. 14:6, 7.
Satan, of course, is determined to do anything he can to disrupt our
fellowship with our Creator and Redeemer. In modern times, one of his
most effective means has been to cast doubt, not only on God's claim to
be our Creator but even on whether God exists! No wonder, then, that
in the first angel's message of Revelation 14, the world receives a
special message to "Fear God and give glory to Him" and to "worship
Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water"
(NKJV). That this message is especially for our time is made clear in
the text itself: "for the hour of His judgment has come" (verse 7).
Seventh-day Adventists have understood this "hour of judgment" as a
reference to the investigative judgment, which precedes Christ's sec-
ond coming. It commenced on October 22, 1844, referred to in Daniel
8:14 as the "cleansing of the sanctuary."
Apparently when the Lord revealed to John this prophecy of Revela-
tion
14,
He knew that it was especially important to remind the world just
prior to His second coming to "worship the Creator." Many Seventh-day
Adventist scholars have found it to be more than a coincidence that at the
very time the warning of the first angel was to be issued to the world,
Darwin completed the expansion of his work on
The Origin of Species.
This work would offer the world an alternate explanation for the origin
of life (see
The Great Controversy,
pp. 436-438).
What would have happened if humanity had kept the Sabbath as the
Lord had intended?
"Had the Sabbath been universally kept, man's thoughts and affec-
tions would have been led to the Creator as the object of reverence and
worship, and there would never have been an idolater, an atheist, or an
infidel."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 438.
Once Satan casts doubt on the idea that God is our Creator, or
worse, doubt that He even exists, the essential connection with God
(which the Sabbath provides) is destroyed, and we are left alone and
hopeless in our sinful state.
In these unsettling last days, how has the biblical teaching of
the Sabbath helped you withstand Satan's subtle deceptions
about Christ your Creator and Redeemer?
100
Thursday
September 16
OUR DEPENDENCE ON GOD (1 Tim. 6:20; Ps. 119:10; James 4:7;
1 Pet. 5:6-10; Isa. 66:22, 23).
What are some ways in which Satan attempts to break the believer's
connection with God? 1 Tim. 6:20.
"To many, scientific research has become a curse. . . . Many accept
mere theories and speculations as scientific facts, and they think that
God's word is to be tested by the teachings of 'science falsely so
called.' 1 Timothy 6:20. The Creator and His works are beyond their
comprehension; and because they cannot explain these by natural
laws, Bible history is regarded as unreliable. Those who doubt the
reliability of the records of the Old and New Testaments too often go a
step further and doubt the existence of God and attribute infinite power
to nature. Having let go their anchor, they are left to beat about upon
the rocks of infidelity."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 522.
What is the ultimate purpose of Satan's distracting deceptions, and
how do we resist them? 1 Pet. 5:6-10.
"Satan well knows that all whom he can lead to neglect prayer and
the searching of the Scriptures, will be overcome by his attacks. There-
fore he invents every possible device to engross the mind."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 519.
What is our best safeguard? Ps. 119:10,11; James 4:7.
"Satan is well aware that the weakest soul who abides in Christ is
more than a match for the hosts of darkness, and that, should he reveal
himself openly, he would be met and resisted. . . . Only in humble
reliance upon God, and obedience to all His commandments, can we be
secure.
"No man is safe for a day or an hour without prayer. Especially
should we entreat the Lord for wisdom to understand His word. . . . We
should study the Bible with humility of heart, never losing sight of our
dependence upon God."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 530.
This is a remarkable and powerful statement to help in our spiritual
warfare, for it contains all the ingredients of that special fellowship with
our Creator and our Redeemer. Prayer, feeding on His Word, humble
dependence upon Him, and obedience—all may be summed up in what
it means to abide in Christ.
101
Friday
September 1
7
FURTHER STUDY: Read the following passages on the relationship
of the Sabbath to nature:
Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 47;
The Desire
of Ages,
pp. 281, 282;
Testimonies to Ministers,
pp. 136, 137.
"Since the Sabbath is the memorial of creative power, it is the day
above all others when we should acquaint ourselves with God through
His works. In the minds of the children the very thought of the Sabbath
should be bound up with the beauty of natural things. Happy is the
family who can go to the place of worship on the Sabbath as Jesus and
His disciples went to the synagogue—across the fields, along the shores
of the lake, or through the groves. Happy the father and mother . . . who
can gather under the green trees, in the fresh, pure air, to study the word
and to sing the praise of the Father
above."—Education,
p. 251.
"We behold the image of God reflected, as in a mirror, in the
works of nature and in His dealings with men; but then we shall see
Him face to face, without a dimming veil between. We shall stand in
His presence and behold the glory of His countenance."—The
Great
Controversy,
p. 677.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
In what
ways does
the popular media undermine the idea
that God is the Creator? What are some positive
ways of
counteracting their influence?
2.
What are some ways
in which we can help fulfill the challenge
in Revelation 14 to encourage people again to "worship the
Creator"?
3.
Evolution teaches that "there is no Creator, for all things
evolved." (Theistic evolution: "There is a Creator who used and
guided the evolutionary process.") Pantheism tends to equate
the Creator God with all things of creation. It rejects the
distinction between the Creator and the creation and teaches
that He is in everything. What implications do these theo-
ries have for Seventh-day Adventists who keep the Sabbath
and await the soon coming of Jesus?
SUMMARY: One
important purpose of the Sabbath since the Fall is to
provide special fellowship with our Creator by which He makes us holy.
Satan is especially determined to prevent people from participating in
this communion, hence his attacks on the Sabbath, which reminds us
that God is our Creator and Redeemer.
102
Called From Tibet
Manohar Karnard
Passang Tsering (pah-song TSEH-ring] is a soft-spoken, 23-
year-old student at Spicer Memorial College in Pune, India. He is
one of several students from Tibet, "the roof of the world." Tibet
lies north of India on the world's highest plateau.
Passang's mother died when he was quite young; his father
raised cattle and farmed a small plot of land to feed his eight
children.
When communists overran Tibet, Passang's father watched as
soldiers mistreated the people. The family had never been rich, but
now they were poor beyond imagination. He urged Passang and his
two youngest daughters to flee to India.
The three young people followed secret routes through Nepal to
India. They knew that if the soldiers caught them, they would be
severely punished and imprisoned for trying to escape. The fortu-
nate refugees rejoiced when they reached the Indian border. Passang
fought tears as he said, "I have not seen my father since we left
Tibet."
Passang completed his secondary education in a Tibetan children's
village in northern India. He was given the choice of two schools
to attend. He knew little about either school, but he remembers
something told him to choose Spicer Memorial College.
The Adventist lifestyle at Spicer attracted Passang and other
young Tibetan Buddhists studying there. Soon he will finish his
studies and graduate. But he will take more than a degree in
geography with him from Spicer. "I have learned to feel the pres-
ence of the Infinite [God] everywhere I go," he says.
His heart aches for the plight of his family who remain in Tibet.
"Sometimes I feel as if I am alone in this world. It is hard to see
others return to their homes during vacations, for we have no
homes on this earth." But Passang has learned that he is not truly
alone; he has a Brother, a Friend, who will never leave him and
who has promised him a home forever.
His eyes fill with tears as he recalls his escape from Tibet. He
dreams of returning to his homeland and teaching his people about
God. "I believe God wants me to introduce my Saviour to my people,"
says Passang. He knows that if he returns to Tibet, he may never be
able to leave. "God has made a difference in my life, I must share that
knowledge with others and work to hasten His coming."
Manohar Karnard is an instructor at Spicer Memorial
College in
Pune, India.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness
E-mail: gomission@compuserve.com
103
Lesson 13
September 18-24
God's Re-creation: The
Earth Made New
Sabbath Afternoon
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Isa. 65:17-25; 1 Cor. 15:12-26,
35-55; Phil. 3:20, 21; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1-27; 22:1-6, 12-21.
MEMORY TEXT: "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also
there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as
a bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation 21:1, 2, NKJV).
KEY THOUGHT:
God intends to restore both the human race and
the earth to their pre-Fall glory. While the nature of this existence is
beyond our comprehension now, yet it is real, and God wants us to look
forward to His glorious rewards for us.
THE REALITY OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH.
We have spent most of this quarter studying about the original creation
of this earth. While we recognize the importance of acknowledging God
as our Creator, it is also important that we look forward to a new
restored creation. There are those who do not like to talk about heaven
and the new earth. Influenced by the scientific age, some may harbor
secret doubts about the reality of the future existence presented in the
Bible. Others may feel that to talk of such things is to reveal a selfish
motive for wanting to go to heaven. But the motive is loving God and
desiring to be with Him in the midst of His perfect creation.
This week we will study how God desires us to be with Him in the
heavenly home He has prepared for us.
104
Sunday
September 19
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEW WORLD (1 Cor. 3:14;
2 Cor. 4:17; Matt. 5:12; Rev. 21:1-7, 10-21; 22:1-3, 17).
What does the Bible say about the reality of our eternal reward?
1 Cor. 3:14; 2 Cor. 4:17; Rev. 21:1-7.
It is impossible for our finite minds to comprehend what our infinite
God has prepared for us. How can the perfection of the new heaven and
earth be adequately described! "Language is altogether too feeble to
attempt a description of heaven. As the scene rises before me, I am lost
in amazement. Carried away with the surpassing splendor and excellent
glory, I lay down the pen, and exclaim, 'Oh, what love! what wondrous
love!' The most exalted language fails to describe the glory of heaven
or the matchless depths of a Saviour's
love."—Early Writings,
p. 289.
Considering that the glory of our eternal reward is impossible to
comprehend, how does Jesus desire for us to view it? Matt. 5:12; Rev.
22:17.
Actually, every evidence from the Bible seems to indicate that God is
quite eager to share the joy of our future life with Him. He gives us
attractive hints, that which we can understand, to help us look forward
to it. "Jesus comes to present the advantages and beautiful imagery of
the heavenly, that the attractions of heaven shall become familiar to the
thoughts, and memory's hall be hung with pictures of celestial and
eternal loveliness. .
"The great Teacher gives man a view of the future world. He brings
it, with its attractive possessions, within the range of his vision. . . . If
He can fasten the mind upon the future life and its blessedness, in
comparison with the temporal concerns of this world, the striking con-
trast is deeply impressed upon the mind, absorbing the heart and soul
and the whole being."—Our
High Calling,
p. 286.
What views of the new heaven and new earth does inspiration pro-
vide for us? Rev. 21:1, 2, 10-21; 22:1-3.
As the above texts demonstrate, the imagery of what God has
in store for us in heaven and in the earth made new is quite
dazzling. How does the anticipation of such a glorious reward
make an impact on your everyday life? What impact does your
experience have on others around you?
105
Monday
September 20
NATURE RESTORED (Isa. 55:13; 65:25; 11:6-9; 35:1-10; Hos.
2:16-20; Rev. 21:23, 25).
How is nature described in the new earth? Isa. 55:13; 65:25; Rev.
21:23, 25.
Besides the brief descriptions provided in Isaiah and Revelation,
Ellen White provides some beautiful insights into what the new heaven
and earth will be like: "I saw another field full of all kinds of flowers, and
as I plucked them, I cried out, 'They will never fade.' Next I saw a
field of tall grass, most glorious to behold; it was living green and had
a reflection of silver and gold, as it waved proudly to the glory of King
Jesus. . . . Then we entered a wood, not like the dark woods we have
here; no, no; but light, and all over glorious; the branches of the trees
moved to and fro, and we all cried out, 'We will dwell safely in the
wilderness and sleep in the woods.' We passed through the woods, for
we were on our way to Mount
Zion."—Early Writings,
p.
18.
"Mount Zion was just before us, and on the mount was a glorious
temple, and about it were seven other mountains, on which grew roses
and lilies. And I saw the little ones climb, or, if they chose, use their
little wings and fly, to the top of the mountains and pluck the never-
fading flowers. There were all kinds of trees around the temple to
beautify the place: the box, the pine, the fir, the oil, the myrtle, the
pomegranate, and the fig tree bowed down with the weight of its timely
figs—these made the place all over glorious."—Early
Writings,
p. 19.
What will the animals be like in the new heaven and the new earth?
Hos. 2:16-20; Isa. 11:6-9; 35:1-10; 65:25.
The prophet Isaiah's descriptions of the lot of the redeemed clearly
depicts the overturning of the present fallen order. Further, the prophet
Hosea includes the animals in a covenant of peace with God's redeemed
people.
"There man will be restored to his lost kingship, and the lower order
of beings will again recognize his sway; the fierce will become gentle,
and the timid
trustful."—Education,
p. 304.
As you compare this world and the glorious world to come, do
you feel homesick for heaven? How is it that we can call heaven
home and feel "homesick" for it, even though we have never been
there? What are some things that can keep you from going there?
When traveling to a foreign land, you need a passport or visa. If
heaven is our destination, then what is our "heavenly passport"?
106
Tuesday
September 21
HUMANS RESTORED (Mal. 4:1, 2; Hos. 13:14; 1
Cor. 15:22-25;
15:42-44, 54, 55; Rev. 21:4).
How will humans appear at their
restoration? Mal. 4:1, 2.
Malachi describes the redeemed as having the vigor of a "young
calf" restored to them! In the full vigor of eternal youth they will leap
for joy in their glorious home. "Restored to the tree of life in the long-
lost Eden, the redeemed will 'grow up' to the full stature of the race in
its primeval glory."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 645.
"If Adam, at his creation, had not been endowed with twenty times
as much vital force as men now have, the race, with their present habits
of living in violation of natural law, would have become extinct."
—Fundamentals of Christian Education,
p. 23.
"None will need or desire repose. There will be no weariness in doing
the will of God and offering praise to His name. We shall ever feel the
freshness of the morning and shall ever be far from its close."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 676.
What will happen to pain, suffering, and death in God's new
order? Can you imagine life without them! Hos. 13:14; 1 Cor.
15:22-26; 15:42-44, 54, 55; Rev. 21:4.
This is
the wonder of the new life of the redeemed—a real physical
existence, but one without pain, suffering, and death. This calls for a
different type of existence from what we know in our present world, a
different ecosystem, a different biology. As Paul says, it is a mystery,
but we know that the perishable will become imperishable, and the
mortal will put on immortality, and there will be no more death.
"Pain cannot exist in the atmosphere of heaven. There will be no
more tears, no funeral trains, no badges of mourning."—The
Great
Controversy,
p. 676.
The question many ask is Will we recognize our loved ones whom we
have lost in this life? "As Jesus arose from the dead, so those who sleep
in Him are to rise again. We shall know our friends, even as the disciples
knew Jesus. They may have been deformed, diseased, or disfigured, in
this mortal life, and they rise in perfect health and symmetry; yet in the
glorified body their identity will be perfectly preserved."
—The Desire of Ages,
p. 804.
Do you have loved ones who died? If
yes, how does it make
you feel that you will see and recognize them in perfection at
Jesus' return?
107
Wednesday
September 22
EYE HAS NOT SEEN ... (Matt. 22:23-30; 1 Cor. 2:9; Ps. 16:11).
How did Jesus answer the Sadducees' question about marriage in
the afterlife? Matt. 22:23-30.
Among the errors of the Sadducees was that they did not believe in
the power of the Spirit of God acting in human affairs. In their skepticism
they denied the existence of angels, the resurrection, and eternal life.
So, thinking to embarrass Jesus, they asked a speculative question
about the consequences of the levirate marriage law (Deut. 25:5, 6) in
the resurrection.
But, to Jesus, their big problem was that they did not know the power
of God or His Word. They "forgot that a God powerful enough to raise
men from the dead also had the wisdom and power to set up anew a
perfect order of society in the perfect new earth. Furthermore, all who
are saved will be contented and happy with the glorious new order of
things, even though they cannot fully realize in this life what the future
will bring forth. . . . Evidently there will be no need for marriage, because
a different order of life will prevail."—The
SDA Bible Commentary, vol.
5, p. 483.
According to Jesus, then, in the future life marriage such as we have
known it will not continue. There is still much we do not know. During
the early days of the Adventist Church, some were so concerned about
this issue that Ellen White was compelled to write: "Workers for God
should not spend time speculating as to what conditions will prevail in
the new earth. It is presumption to indulge in suppositions and theories
regarding matters that the Lord has not revealed. He has made every
provision for our happiness in the future life, and we are not to specu-
late regarding His plans for us. Neither are we to measure the conditions
of the future life by the conditions of this
life."—Gospel Workers,
p.
314.
What does God's Word say about His wondrous plan for our
future happiness? 1 Cor. 2:9; Ps. 16:11; 84:11.
Our loving, powerful, and wise God will employ all His creative
energies to surpass infinitely all our expectations of happiness and
satisfaction. Doesn't it fill us with wonder and amazement as we look
forward to what our gracious God is preparing for our eternal happi-
ness!
"Friends long separated by death are united, ... and ... ascend
together to the City of God."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 645.
108
Thursday
September 23
WHAT WILL WE DO THERE? (Isa. 65:21, 22; 66:22, 23).
What do the following texts tell us about some of the things that we
will be doing in the new earth?
Isa. 65:21, 22
Isa. 66:22, 23
In the inspired writings of Ellen White we read of a number of
activities we shall be engaged in: worship, music, research, building,
fellowship, to name just a few. As we come to the end of this quarter's
study, it is fitting that we reflect on a few choice statements to boost our
courage as we look forward to our eternal reward.
"In the earth made new, the redeemed will engage in the occupations
and pleasures that brought happiness to Adam and Eve in the begin-
ning. The Eden life will be lived, the life in garden and field."
—Prophets and Kings,
p. 730.
"In the same manner [bringing the glorious crowns] the angels
brought the harps, and Jesus presented them also to the saints. The
commanding angels first struck the note, and then every voice was
raised in grateful, happy praise, and every hand skillfully swept over
the strings of the harp, sending forth melodious music in rich and
perfect
strains."—Early Writings,
p. 288.
"Then will be opened before him [the student] the course of the great
conflict that had its birth before time began, and that ends only when
time shall cease. . . . The veil that interposes between the visible and the
invisible world will be drawn aside, and wonderful things will be re-
vealed."
—Education,
p. 304.
"All the perplexities of life's experience will then be made plain.
Where to us have appeared only confusion and disappointment, bro-
ken purposes and thwarted plans, will be seen a grand, overruling,
victorious purpose, a divine
harmony."—Education,
p. 305.
"Then we began to look at the glorious things outside of the city.
There I saw most glorious houses, that had the appearance of silver,
supported by four pillars set with pearls most glorious to behold. These
were to be inhabited by the saints."—Early
Writings,
p. 18.
"As they [the saints] learn more and more of the wisdom, the love,
and the power of God, their minds will be constantly expanding, and
their joy will continually
increase."—Testimonies for the Church, vol.
5, pp. 702, 703.
"All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God's
redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flight to
worlds afar."—The
Great Controversy, p. 677.
109
Friday
September 24
FURTHER STUDY:
Read the chapter entitled "The School of the
Hereafter" in
Education,
pp. 301-309 to learn about all the fascinating
subjects we will be engaged in studying. Read the statement under the
heading "Speculation Regarding the Future Life" in
Medical Ministry,
pp. 99, 100, for a specific comment on Jesus' words on marriage in
heaven.
"There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them
waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ran-
somed of the Lord. There the wide-spreading plains swell into hills of
beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those
peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God's people, so long
pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 675.
While some did not initially recognize Jesus after His resurrection,
ultimately His friends did recognize Him. Mary recognized Jesus' voice
(John 20:11-16), Thomas, His physical appearance (John 20:27, 28), and
the disciples from Emmaus recognized Jesus' mannerisms (Luke 24:30,
31, 35). In
The Desire of Ages,
p. 804, we read that "The resurrection
of Jesus was a type of the final resurrection of all who sleep in Him.
The countenance of the risen Saviour, His manner, His speech, were
all familiar to His disciples."
She also writes this touching passage in
Selected Messages,
book 2,
p. 260: "As the little infants come forth immortal from their dusty beds,
they immediately wing their way to their mother's arms. They meet
again nevermore to part."
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
How does the original pre-Fall earth compare with the new
earth? What are some similarities and differences?
2.
A happy Sabbath exercise for Adventist families is to discuss
what they look forward to most in the new earth. What do you
look forward to that you think will bring you the greatest joy?
SUMMARY:
"The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no
more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness
beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and
light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the
minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate,
in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love."
—The Great Controversy,
p. 678.
110
Lest We Forget
J. H. Zachary
As I travel from country to country I have been touched by the
conditions in which many of our believers live and work. Recently I
sat in a church filled with worshipers. But three of the church workers
were not present; they were imprisoned for their faith. The Bibles the
members so reverently held were smuggled into the country, for the
government does not permit the publishing of religious literature.
In another country I visited a little house on the edge of a city. Each
Sabbath members secretly entered the house to worship; they sang in
whispers to prevent detection. Then one day police raided the house
and arrested the pastor. He remains in prison.
In another country I met an elderly man sitting alone in church.
When he had refused to send his children to school on Sabbath, the
authorities took his children and sent them to a Communist boarding
school. Today the children are atheists. Only God knows the depth of
this man's sorrow.
I visited an ADRA leader who cannot preach in a church or even
make a comment during Sabbath School class, for religion is moni-
tored where he serves.
In yet another country an Adventist pastor's home was bombed by
a radical religious group. In spite of fear for his family, he continues to
preach the gospel.
A teenager came to evangelistic meetings, her face and arms cov-
ered with bruises. Her father had beaten her to discourage her from
accepting Jesus. One night as she returned from the meeting, her father
met her and tried to drag her to the barn for another whipping. She
clung to a water pipe. Her father gave a violent yank, and the water
pipe broke. He forgot the whipping as he repaired the broken pipe.
Today this young woman rejoices in the Lord in spite of persecution.
I stepped into a pastor's one-room apartment in one country. A bare
lightbulb hung in the center of the room. The pastor kneels on the floor
beside his bed, preparing a Bible study. I prayed that the police had not
seen me enter the apartment. It would have been far too dangerous to
visit the secret house church. Yet this godly pastor and his family serve
the Lord.
Unsung heros live and work in many dark and dangerous places
around the world. They are determined to serve God at any cost. We
must pray for those who are suffering for the Lord, and we must never
take our religious freedom for granted.
J. H. Zachary is international evangelism
coordinator at The Quiet
Hour in Redlands, California.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness
E-mail: gomission(g,compuserve.com
111
Bible Study Guide for Fourth Quarter, 1999
The fourth quarter Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, entitled
The
Church in Today's World,
centers on the study of the blessing of belong-
ing to God's family.
Lesson 1: We Are a Family
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY:
Jer. 31:1; Matt. 12:49, 50; Pss.
34:8; 27:10; Jer. 31:3; John 3:16; Rom. 5:15; Ps. 68:5, 6; Isa. 41:10;
1 Pet. 2:9.
MEMORY TEXT:
Matthew 12:49, 50.
KEY THOUGHT:
It is a privilege to belong to God's earthly family, in
which we have a loving Father and good brothers and sisters.
OUTLINE:
More Than a Congregation, a Family (Matt. 12:49, 50; Jer. 31:1).
God Sets the Tone (Pss. 34:8; 27:10; 94:14; Isa. 49:15, 16).
We Are Members of One Family (1 John 3:14; 4:21; John 13:34;
Matt. 6:9).
We Are Not Alone (Ps. 68:5; Matt. 28:20; Isa. 41:10).
A Family With a Purpose (Gen. 12:2, 3; 1 Pet. 2:9; John 4:34; Isa. 60:1-3).
Lesson 2: New Persons in Christ
READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY:
Isa. 55:6, 7; Luke 15:11-24;
Eph. 2; 4:22-32; 1 Cor. 2:16; Rom. 8:9, 14.
MEMORY TEXT:
Ephesians 4:22, 23.
KEY THOUGHT:
It is God's desire to change and renew our lives.
OUTLINE:
B.C.—Before Christ! (Eph. 2:1-3, 12; 4:18, 19; Rom. 1:28-32).
A.C.—After Christ! (Isa. 55:6, 7; Eph. 1:7, 8; 2:8, 9; 1 John 1:9, 10).
A New Creation (Eph. 2:12, 13; 5:8; Ezek. 36:36, 27).
The Holy Spirit in Action (Rom. 8:9, 14; Eph. 4:22-32).
Like Jesus (1 Cor. 2:16; 1 Pet. 2:21; Heb. 8:10).
Lessons
in Braille
The regular adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide is available free
each month in Braille and 16 2/3 rpm records to blind and physically
handicapped persons who cannot read normal ink print. This includes indi-
viduals who because of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, paralysis, accident, old
age, and so forth, cannot hold or focus on normal ink-print publications.
Contact the Christian Record Services, Box 6097, Lincoln, NE 68506.
112
'or'LI
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Sabbath School Lessons
Spirit of Prophecy
quotations arrange •
for dailyktudy
with
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'Guide
Revelation
God
Shows and Tells
JAN FEB MARCH 1999
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MAURITANIA
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
GABON
AFRICA-INDIAN OCEAN
DIVISION
SENEGAL
GAMBI
GUINEA
BISSAU
SIERRA LEO
BURKINA
FASO
GUINEA
2
BENIN
COTE D'IVOIRE
o
IBERIA
GHANA)
2
1
CAMEROON
4
EOUAT
ORIAI
CONGO
Democratic Republic
of Congo
Mission Projects:
1.
Rebuild Konola Academy, damaged during
Liberian civil war.
2.
Build hospital in Tamale, Ghana.
3.
Construct secondary school, N'Djamena, Chad.
4.
Build maternity block and surgical unit in Buea,
Cameroon.
5.
Construct library at Universite Adventiste,
Wallace Campus, East Congo.
6.
Construct two evangelistic centers in East
Congo.
Unions
Churches Companies Membership
Population
Central African
739
324
90,445
28,400,000
East Congo
830
1,591
186,668
22,828,000
Indian Ocean
289
605
54,994
16,755,000
Nigeria
600
625
142,887
107,100,000
Rwanda
865
482
342,664
7,700,000
Sahel
91
249
15,761
76,400.000
West African
626
1,335
220,416
25,906,000
West Congo
253
461
133,635
24,572,000
Burundi Assn.
123
143
48,672
6,100,000
Totals
4,416
5,815
1,236,142
315,761,000
(December 31, 1997)